Two Halves of My Whole
by SamJayandHolyMae
Summary: An AU set in MWPP time. Two young girls go to Hogwarts only to discover that their futures are intertwined in a path of destiny that even Lord Voldermort cannot fathom.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** All characters except for Hollie, Sam and a few others are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are not receiving profit for our story.

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**Prologue  
**(Past: A long time ago)

The dim light silhouetted the petite figure of a young woman as she moved from one crib to the other in the large nursery room, her platinum hair casting a soft sheen about her round delicate face. Her heart constricted in pain and love as she looked at the face of her newborn daughter, then at her one year old daughter. _They both look so sweet asleep,_ she thought to herself, then quickly grabbed one of the cribs as her Mind opened up and took her into a future filled with division, distance, estrangement, hostility, anger, hate and eventually death. Panting, she wiped away the tears from her face, carefully took both girls in her arms, as to not wake them up. Softly kissing their foreheads, she took a deep breath and brought up all the Power she had within her.

_Both my children, yet so different_

_One conceived with Love_

_The other out of Duty_

_Yet to Both I give my heart_

_Greatly Gifted they will be_

_When my Blood runs strongest through their veins._

_The Future they will see_

_And Power will be in them._

_Divided these two will be_

_And distance will grow_

_Between the next Generations._

_For Many Years they will be estranged_

_Yet my blood in them will remain_

_Until the Last Two_

_Each a Half of my Whole_

_Face each other_

_With hostility and anger_

_And the Hate between them_

_Which I cannot Impede_

_Will not end in Death_

_As I have Foreseen._

_For as long as my Blood_

_Sings in their veins_

_Never will one cause Death to the other_

_And when the final Confrontation takes place_

_Forever a Bond will be forged_

_If ever they Act on their Hate_

_Raising wands Against each other_

_They will become United_

_And I shall live ever Powerful_

_Brought back by two Halves of my Whole._


	2. First Visions: Hollie

**Disclaimer:** All characters except for Hollie, Sam, and other non-Rowling characters belong to J.K. Rowling and we are not (unfortunately) getting any profit for this story.

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****First Visions **

(11 Years Old: Summer) Hollie's POV

Tossing and turning, I struggled to emerge from the suffocating darkness of my subconscious. My mother's hand touching my face brought me out of my dark dreams, and I opened my black eyes.

My body grew cold and rigid and instead of seeing my mother's smiling face, I saw her kneeling by my father, his body twisted and grotesque on the kitchen floor. Mother was sobbing, her loud wails expressing the breaking of her heart. I stood there, my feet rooted to the ground, unable to move forward to console her. I tried to call out to her, but my voice was gone. My mother was touching Father, pushing back his dark brown hair from his lifeless face.

"Why?" my mother screamed, looking right at me, her blue eyes filled with anger. I tried to explain to her that it wasn't me, that I found him laying there –dead.

My mother screamed, and I jerked, finding myself on my bed, shaking, cold chills running up and down my spine. I looked at my mother as I pulled myself into a sitting position. Her face was drained of blood and she stared at me as if I had grown an extra head.

"What's wrong, Mum?" I tried to shake away the nightmare I had but the look on my mother's face took me back to it again and again. She looked just the way she had in my dream.

"No –nothing," she stammered, slowly walking out of my room, her eyes on me the entire time. I seriously think she was expecting me to levitate or something. Closing the door behind her, I heard her quickly walk down the hall, her steps fading as she headed towards the kitchen.

Pushing the blankets off of me, I got out of bed and headed towards my bathroom, undoing my long braids, which I slept in every night so I wouldn't wake up with my curly brown hair tangled into a rat's nest of sorts. Stripping off my pajamas, I jumped into the shower and washed my hair quickly, for Mother didn't like it whenever I was late to breakfast due to my hair. She always accused me of being vain about my long, chestnut brown curls; sometimes –I tend to agree with her. Wrapping a towel around myself, I grabbed the other one to dry my hair, walking towards the large vanity mirror over the porcelain sink. Dropping the towel, I flipped my hair back and looked into the mirror, but instead of seeing my reflection, I locked eyes with a pair of large brown eyes filled with rage and unmeasured anger. She was wearing black school robes, with the Hogwarts crest on the upper left pocket, and a Gryffindor scarf hung from her graceful neck. Even with anger tightening every muscle of her face, I noticed how beautiful she was, wisps of dark blonde hair framing her delicate china-doll like face.

"You have seriously crossed the line this time, Hollie," she whispered fiercely, and even though she was several feet away from me, I was able to hear ever word clearly. I tried to ask what was wrong, to apologize for whatever it was I had done, when I noticed her shaking right hand, in which she was holding a wand. My fascination with wands made me loose focus at the matter in hand as I intently stared at the wand, taking notice of its length of eleven inches and the grain of the wood, even from that distance, revealed to me that the wand was made out of Beachwood.

As I stood there, wondering about the core of that beautifully made wand, I watched it slowly raised until it was pointed right at me. Looking back into the blonde's eyes, I felt myself grow cold, slowly registering the words coming out of her mouth.

"You knew –you knew," her hand trembled as she glared at me. Narrowing her eyes, she steadied her hand before she whispered, "I'm going to kill you."

Stepping back, I slipped on a small puddle of water and fell hard against the wall behind me. Sitting on the marble tiled floor, my skin clammy and cold, I wondered as to what had just happened.

The other one had been a nightmare, but I had been wide awake through this one, unless –unless the other one hadn't been a nightmare. I buried my face in my hands. What was going on? Why was I seeing these horrible things? Could I –could I be going crazy?

* * *

I stood outside the kitchen door, wondering as to whether my parents would notice I had been crying. I felt so confused. I wanted to tell them, to have them reassure me that I wasn't losing my mind. I was just eleven years old after all. I couldn't be losing my mind at such a young age. 

"What are you waiting for, Bug?"

I jumped, for my older brother, Dominic, had Apparated behind me. He's been doing that ever since he passed his Apparition test with flying colors. He was about to start his seventh year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, and this year I'd be going with him. I have been anxiously waiting for my Hogwarts letter ever since I first showed signs of being a witch.

I turned around to slap my brother and as I looked up into his warm blue eyes, I saw him standing in our dark kitchen. He had his right sleeve up and he was admiring something on his arm. I tried to get a closer look, but even though I couldn't move, I was still able to see a dark mark, shaped like a skull with a serpent coming out of its open mouth. I was shocked, for it was my first time seeing the dark mark and as I wondered why, Father walked into the kitchen, wearing his pajamas, hair disheveled, and his wand in hand. He stopped when he saw my brother and sighed.

"Oh –it's you, Dominic," he sighed, smiling tiredly at him, "I thought it was one of those accursed Death Eaters."

"Nope," my brother smiled weakly, "No Death Eater, Dad." He was hiding his arm behind his back, covertly pulling his sleeve down to hide the mark. My father narrowed his eyes, for he had picked up on my brother's guilty feelings, and took a few steps closer.

"What are you hiding, Son," he asked, his black eyes boring into my brother's blue ones.

"Nothing, Dad," he said, keeping that weak smile on his face. Without warning, Father grabbed Dominic's arm and pulled up his sleeve. He stared at the dark mark, his mouth open in shock. He looked up at my brother, and dropped his arm as if it had burned his hands.

"You're –you're –" my father stumbled back, disgust and anger showing in his face. My brother looked at his arm, sighed, and then looked up at my father. The look on his face shocked me, for I had never seen my brother look cold, uncaring, and filled with hatred.

"That's right, Pop," Dominic smiled coolly, "I'm a Death Eater."

Father shook his head in disbelief, "You've –betrayed me. Your family. You've betrayed us all!"

I gasped, for my father had pulled out his wand and even though he had more experience in dueling, Dominic cursed him first.

"Crucio," Dominic whispered fiercely. I watched as Father dropped his wand and convulsed in excruciating pain, his mouth opened in a silent agonizing scream. I tried to scream for Dominic to stop. This wasn't right. Dominic and Father were closer than father and son…they were best friends!

"I'm sorry, Dad," Dominic said, his voice devoid of all emotion, "You're not going to win and I hate being on the losing end of a war."

Dominic looked at the writhing form of our father, his blue eyes empty. I was able to see that all the love, care, pride, and comrade he had once felt towards Father was gone. I couldn't understand. How could he? How could he do this to his own father? To my father?

"Avada Kedrava," my brother muttered, then walked out of the house as Father fell onto the kitchen floor, twisted and grotesque. I knew –I knew he was dead.

"Bug, what the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

I pulled away from my brother's hands. I was standing outside the kitchen, and the sun was streaming through the living room windows.

I leaned against the wall, my breathing fast and shallow.

"What are you up to, Bug," Dominic was trying to catch my eye but I refused to look into his face, and instead stared at his arm, which was bare due to the short sleeve shirt he was wearing. There was nothing. No black mark. I was going crazy. I was losing my mind. That's the only thing that could explain all this.

"What's wrong with you, Bug?"

"What do you mean," I stammered, staring at his bare feet.

"You just got all rigid like and your skin was ice cold," Dominic shifted a little, "And your eyes, well, they went all silver like."

"What do you mean," I asked again, surprised into looking at him.

"Well, they changed colors…from black to silver –not gray silver but true silver. You really weirded me out."

Something was wrong with me. I didn't know what, or why, but something was terribly wrong with me.

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AN: Sorry it took so long, y'all! Sam Jay and I have been going through the story and decided to revamp it. Some of the first few chapters are still the same, but the layout of the story is different. Y'all will see that the chapters (and part of chapters) will be flipping back and forth between Hollie's point of view and Sam's point of view. Hope y'all enjoy the story (now that it's less confusing) and don't forget to send a review or two (or three!) our way. God bless y'all! 


	3. Visions and Letters: Sam

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and a few others, are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are not receiving profit for our story.

**Visions and Letters**

_(11 years old: summer) Sam's POV_

"Sam, wake up!" My brother's voice and the insistent pushing on my shoulder woke me up from a rather pleasant sleep. I groaned since I hated being woken up. Unfortunately, my three brothers knew this, so it became something they loved to do.

"Nate! I was sleeping." I pretended to rub the sleep from my eyes. Maybe if he thought I was awake he would leave and I could go back to sleep.

"We're going to the park to play football, remember? You need to get up. We're going to be leaving soon." Knowing that was enough, he left my room.

After hearing the day's plans, I woke up immediately. One thing that I loved more than sleep was playing football. I might have been a small eleven-year-old but I was the most aggressive player on the team and I absolutely loved it.

I got out of bed, changed clothes and headed downstairs for some breakfast. While I was eating, my younger sister, Dani, walked into the dinning room. I looked up at her and found myself no longer sitting at the table but instead at a football stadium, watching Dani play. She was dribbling the ball up the field, passing the defenders to score and helped her team win the championship game. The other players ran towards her, already celebrating. The crowd was going wild including my family whom was standing near me.

Just as quickly as it started, it stopped and I was back in the dinning room looking at the door where my sister had entered the room. She was now getting her breakfast, not having noticed what had just happened. Of course, Dani ignoring me was nothing new. She had started avoiding me a few years ago after she witnessed me dropping my brothers' on their heads. Ever since then, she thought I was a freak.

'Maybe she's right.' A voice said in my head. 'I'm going crazy because this is not normal.'

I still felt the happy emotions from the game, but I didn't feel that happy or joyous. Instead I was scared and worried. If Mum found out, she would surely kick me out. That was why Billy, E.J., and Nate had been covering and hiding the unusual things that I had been doing. For as long as I could remember, the four of us had been keeping a list of things not to tell Mum, including Billy's on going obsession with magical stuff.

'I guess we can add Sam traveling...seeing...something that was not there to the list.' The thought came into my mind as I went into my room, not wanting to face the day anymore. I had never felt like such an outsider and all I wanted to do was curl up on my bed and sleep.

* * *

It could have been hours later when Billy, E.J., and Nate walked into my room. I looked up at them, wanting to make a retort about them not giving me my privacy but as I locked gazes with Billy, for the second time that day, I was whisked away from my home. This time I found myself standing in between two other girls and we were wearing identical dresses. 

"Where am I? A wedding?" I asked myself as I turned my attention to the groom, my eyes widening at the sight of an older version of Billy.

"Who would marry him?" I immediately turned my attention to the bride walking down the aisle. She had dark black hair and bright blue eyes. She was beautiful.

All of a sudden I was back at home, lying on my bed looking up at my brothers. Their eyes were wide, with confusion, fear and concern written on their faces.

"Sam, are you okay?" E.J. managed to ask.

I nodded my head. "I'm fine," my voice sounded stronger than I felt. "What happened?"

"Your eyes turned purple for a minute!" Billy informed me, excitement was edging its way into his voice.

"They turned purple!?" I heard myself exclaim as different thoughts whirled around in my head. Looking up, I caught the look of excitement on Billy's face, not at all shocked. Billy laughed out loud as he heard me mumble "You would find this enjoyable."

"I'm not sure if that's such a good thing." Nate voiced, his thoughts echoing my own.

Billy turned on our brother. "Shut it will you Nate. You're going to freak her out even more."

'So he already knows I'm freaked out.' I thought as I looked down at my bed, no longer trying to hide my feelings. What was the point? They already know.

"And don't you two dare tell Mum." Billy warned. "You know how she is. She'll throw Sam out and we'll never see her again."

"Of course we won't tell Mum." E.J. agreed.

Nate nodded his head. "We haven't told her anything yet. It's just something else we'll add to the list."

"Good." Billy seemed convinced that they wouldn't say a word. He sat down on the bed next to me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder as I sat up, tightening my arms around my stuffed wolf, a gift from Billy for my third birthday.

"Do you still want to go to the park?"

I shrugged, not sure of what I wanted anymore except that I wanted to feel normal. Maybe playing football with my brothers would help, as it usually did. 'Maybe if I did something normal, I wouldn't feel so freaky.' With that thought I made up my mind. "Sure."

* * *

I made my way upstairs into the bathroom, wanting to take a shower after playing football for a few hours. Going to the park with my brothers was a good idea. I had nearly forgotten what had happened that morning, simply remembering enough to avoid looking anyone directly in the face. 

"Don't think about that." I told myself, shaking my head, wanting to clear it of any thoughts.

I picked up my brush and pulled my hair out of the ponytail. Looking into the mirror, I saw my own reflection but before I could start brushing my hair, I was standing next to a young man with brown hair. I vaguely heard someone saying you may kiss the bride and then his hand was on my cheek and his lips were on mine. When he pulled away, I opened my eyes and locked gazes with two light blue eyes that held such an immense amount of love.

"Sam, I love you." I heard him say, barely above a whisper.

I blinked and I was standing in my bathroom, holding onto the sink, my brush had fallen onto the floor. Once my grip had loosened, I fell to the floor, not believing what had just happened. I had just seen or been...whatever it was...my own wedding. He kissed me. A boy kissed me? And his eyes...a pretty light blue color, but the way he looked at me scared me. I had never wanted a boy to look at me like that or to be married to one. However, what scared me even more were the emotions that were still running through me. Emotions, that had been reflected in his eyes. I had felt the same way he had.

'I need to take a shower and go to bed.' I pulled myself off of the floor, walked to the shower and turned on the water.

* * *

Through the next few weeks, I was still trying to avoid looking at people in the eye. It still happened though. I saw Billy holding his newborn son. E.J. and Nate's weddings. The majority of my time was spent in my room by myself since I was feeling more and more like an outsider, like I didn't belong. The only time I felt normal or that I belonged was when my brothers and I were playing football. They still hadn't told Mum anything and I knew that they wouldn't. 

Noises coming from downstairs drew me out of my thoughts. My mother was screaming and I could hear what sounded like some kind of bird flying around inside our house.

I got off of my bed and headed downstairs to see what the commotion was all about. This was definitely an unusual experience in our house.

"Get rid of that owl! I want it out of this house right now!" I heard my mother exclaimed as I walked into the living room.

'An owl? Those are wild animals…what is one doing in the house?' I questioned myself as I watched the scene in front of me which was actually quite comical.

The owl was flying around the room while my brothers were chasing it, apparently trying to get it to fly out the window. However, they weren't doing a very good job. The owl kept circling the room. "We're trying Mum," Billy tried to assure her as she simply stood in a corner of the room yelling orders. It was what she did best.

The owl dropped what looked to be an envelope at my feet, changed directions and flew out the open window.

While my brothers were trying to calm down my mother, I picked up the envelope. The first thing I noticed was that it was addressed to me.

"What is it?" I hadn't noticed that Billy had walked over to me and was now looking over my shoulder.

"I don't know." I answered as E.J. and Nate walked over to us. I flipped the envelope over and we saw a coat of arms but failed to recognize it.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Billy asked eagerly.

With shaking hands I was able to open it and took out the letter. My eyes went wide and my mouth fell open as I read the first sentence.

'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!' I thought. Even in my shock, I knew better then to say that aloud. That would have been certain death with my mother sitting in the room.

"What is it?" My mother asked us.

"Nothing." The four of us answered in unison, and bolted towards the stairs, leaving the living room behind us and headed towards my bedroom. Once the door was closed, Billy took the letter from my hands and read it.

"Well," he finally said. "This is something else we can add to the list. E.J., why don't you go get it?"

E.J. nodded his head but before he left the room, I had to know. "What do you mean add to the list? How are we going to hide me going to Hogwarts?"

All three of them stared at me in disbelief. "You mean you're actually planning on going?" Nate asked.

I nodded my head. I wanted, no, needed them to understand. "Don't you understand? These past years, all those weird things I've been doing, dropping you on your heads, the flying chair and the cat walking on the ceiling, there's a reason for it. Look, I'm not the only one. There's enough people like that to make a school." I paused for a second knowing this part would be the hardest. "You know I love you guys. You're my best friends but the fact is I don't feel like I belong here. I belong there with people who are like me." I stopped to let that sink in. " I'll write you guys all the time."

"You better."

I smiled, knowing that they, at least somewhat, understood.

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AN: REVIEW!!! Being writers, we are in need of being told what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. We accept constructive criticism and throw back flamers. We are fragile and in need of assurances from those who read our story. ANY assurance. Please…not that I'm begging….all right! We are begging you to review!!! 


	4. Onward Bound to Hogwarts

**Disclaimer:** All characters except for Hollie, Sam, and other non-Rowling characters belong to J.K. Rowling and we are not (unfortunately) getting any profit for this story.

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**Onward Bound to Hogwarts **

_Hollie's POV_

Swinging my legs, looking out the window, I felt happy for the first time in the past two or three weeks. I looked around at the empty compartment and smiled. I was onward bound to Hogwarts! Once there, I was absolutely positive someone would be able to explain what had been going on with me since that morning Mother had woken me up. I had locked myself in my room and refused to come out until it was time to Floo Travel into Diagon Alley. It wasn't long before I realized my family wasn't the only ones that made me see those horrible things. Before long, I had to hold Mother's hand because I refused to look up from my feet. The only thing that I enjoyed from that trip was picking my wand…well; the wand had actually picked me.

Mr. Ollivander made sure to let me know that my wand was quite a manly wand for "such a little girl," and excellent in duels and best in defense against the Dark Arts. I loved my wand for it was a beautiful piece of exquisite craftsmanship. Eleven and three quarter inches long (Mother was shocked…hers was only ten inches), made of aspen (Father was proud for his had been made from the same tree), flexible (made me happy since I was the world's greatest klutz and more than likely to break it if it weren't otherwise), with a core of three heartstrings from a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon (Dominic was green with envy for his had a core of 2 heartstrings of the smallest dragon of the dragon species).

I looked out the window again, wishing that the thirty minutes before departing time would fly by. I had begged to be dropped off at Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross Station an hour early. I could see witches and wizards walking, running, standing on the platform. Kids with parents were boarding the train, storing luggage. Parents were kissing their kids, giving last minute advice.

I craned my neck as I caught a glimpse of a rather familiar looking blonde with three tall, rather good looking guys. Where have I seen her before, I wondered to myself, as I tried to get a better look at her. I jumped as the sliding door of my compartment was opened by a tall, skinny boy with black messy hair and round glasses.

"Oh, sorry. I thought it was empty."

James Harold Potter stood before me, yet he wasn't looking at me. He was yelling at a pretty redhead holding a baby to run away, that he would hold him off and buy some time. As she ran up the stairs, I heard a voice, sounded like evil itself was speaking, and saw James tense up, wand in hand, a look of determination stamped on his face. He fought bravely until a bright green light filled the house, a light I had seen before, and James Harold Potter lay dead on his floor.

"Whoa!" James Potter closed the door behind him and sat on the bench in front of me, "How'd you do that?"

"I don't know," I whispered, staring intently at my wand, turning it around again and again. This just wasn't right. James Potter was an eleven year old starting Hogwarts, a boy I grew up with, that I had thought of as a best friend, that I hadn't seen in three years. His parents and my parents were close friends. I had once overheard my mother telling his mother how nice it would be if James and I marry once we were older. Ever since then, I had beaten up James every time we were together. After a while, a long while, he got smart and began to avoid me. That was three years ago, such a long time, but not long enough to forget.

"Bet you scared a lot of those Muggle kids at school," James slouched on his seat, stretching his long legs in front of him. His presence was making me conscious of my small 4'11" frame. Next to James, I was a midget. A midget that could still beat him up, I thought to myself with a smile, for I knew it was true.

"I wouldn't know. This started happening about two, three weeks ago."

"Oh," James was disappointed, for he had been looking forward to stories about screaming kids, freaked out teachers, and confused doctors. As children, Hollie had entertained him with amazing stories, for she had a gift for storytelling. He had always looked forward to hanging out with her…at least up until she started beating him up. He had hoped she would get tired of it, but after a long while he realized he had to do something if he wanted to look normal by the time he was eleven, so he just started avoiding Hollie Marie Belledrex. He had missed her occasionally but then he remembered the broken nose, broken arm, sprained ankle, chipped tooth, bald patch…he shuddered, burying his hands deep into his jeans' pockets.

"That's a nice wand," he said, trying to make conversation.

"Nice wand?" I said, raising my eyebrows, "I bet it's better than yours."

"How long is it?"

"Eleven and three quarter inches," I turned the wand in my hand again and again, the smooth wood comforting me.

"What kinda core?" James pulled out his wand. It was only eleven inches.

"Three heartstrings of a Norwegian Ridgeback," I smiled, for even though I wasn't looking at his face, I knew he was surprised. My wand was no girly, good for charms wand.

"That's one bloody awesome wand," James shifted in his seat. There were three minutes left before the Hogwarts Express made its way to Hogwarts, our new home away from home.

"Thanks," I looked up, for the sliding door had been opened again, and quickly looked away.

Sirius Orion Black stood there, looking at me, then James, then back at me. I didn't have to look at him to know how horrible he was. After all, he was one of them Blacks. Nothing good ever came out of the Black family.

"May I join you? All the other compartments are full."

"Sure," James smiled at him, and then looked at me. I shrugged, "I don't care."

Sirius closed the door behind him and sat next to me. The train's whistle sounded and we jerked as it began to move forward. I was in for the ride of my life.

* * *

_Sam's POV_

I found an empty compartment and sat down, looking out the window.

"I will not cry. " I told myself. "You are not a cry baby and you will not start now."

In all reality I had never been so depressed. I had just said good-bye to my brothers. They had come with me to the train and I was not sure when I would see them again since I was not ever going home again. Tears filled my eyes against my best efforts to will them away. My mum, no, my mother, had kicked me out. After receiving my letter, I had known it would probably happen but it didn't stop the pain. While I sat there waiting for the train to start, my thoughts were once again filled with my last days at home.

**Flashback**

_Soon after my brothers and I agreed to write each other, there was a knock on my door._

"_Come in." I knew it was my mother, wanting to know what had happened downstairs, if I was somehow tied to the odd experience downstairs. _

"_What is going on? What is that?" Mum demanded. Well, if I was going to Hogwarts, there was no point in trying to hide it from her. I handed the letter to her, knowing that I would have to face her reaction._

_Her hands started to shake as she read. "Is this some sort of joke?"_

"_No, Mum." I was surprised that my brothers answered with me. This wasn't their problem._

"_Fine. You can go to that freak school but your Father and I are not paying for it."_

"_How am I supposed to pay for it?" I knew that she would freak out but I hadn't suspected this. All of a sudden the possibility of going to Hogwarts slipped further away._

"_I don't know. That's your problem." She turned around and walked out of my room, slamming the door behind her._

_I stared at the door, wondering what I was going to do. She didn't say it but I had the feeling that this wasn't the only part of the deal. I realized with a start that if I went to Hogwarts, I probably wouldn't be coming home. Mum wouldn't allow it._

"_We'll help you, Sam." E.J. informed me, answering my unspoken question._

"_But how?" I was relieved that I wasn't totally on my own. My brothers were still standing by me but how could they help me pay for school._

_The three of them looked at each and shrugged. "Not sure Sam, but we'll figure something out."_

_That evening when Dad got home, Mum proceeded to tell him what had happened that day. I might have only been eleven but I knew that my mum had control over my father and that there wasn't much hope in him helping the situation, although I still held some hope that maybe just maybe, he would not allow his daughter to be kicked out of the house. The little hope that I held was squashed the next night at dinner when Mum informed me of the choice that she was giving me. If I chose to attend Hogwarts, not only would Mum and Dad not be paying for it but I was not allowed to come home…ever. However, the second option was not much better. I wouldn't be kicked out and my parents would pay for it but I would be going to St. Anne's School for Psychologically Troubled Young Ladies. As much as I wanted and knew that I belonged at Hogwarts, there was no way I would be able to pay for it. There wasn't actually a choice for me and that was what Mum had intended. It was her way of controlling me, keeping me under her house and rule. At that moment I realized this, I hated her. I loved her because she was my mother but I hated her and I hoped that I would never be like her._

_Due to my thoughts jumbling through my head, sleep refused to come that night. During the middle of the night, Dad came into my room telling me to change clothes because we were going for a walk._

"_Sam, I brought you out here because I wanted to talk to you about what your Mum said tonight."_

'_Unless you're going to tell me that you've stood up to Mum and you're paying for Hogwarts, I don't want to here this.' I thought but I chose to ask instead, "What about it?"_

"_First, I think you should know that I was expecting this."_

"_What?!" Now that surprised me._

_My father sighed. "There are witches in my family line, not a whole lot of them but they are there."_

"_You knew that I was a…." I wasn't able to say it, believing all these years that witches were abnormal… if they even existed._

_He shook his head. "Not you precisely. It could have been you or Dani. Your brothers weren't an option since it only hits the females every third generation."_

"_But you knew?"_

"_Yes."_

_I had a hard time believing what I was hearing. My father had known why I was different and never told me. Granted my brothers and I had hid my bizarre behavior but he could have warned me or something…that it might happen. No, he had to wait until Mum kicks me out and practically disowns me._

"_Sam," Dad's voice broke into my thoughts. "There's more I have to tell you." He pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to me. _

"_What is this?" I wondered what he was doing with an extremely old looking envelope._

"_This is a letter from your great grandmother. It contains all of the information you need…school, your supplies and money. Sam, she left you all of her money."_

"_What?!" Now that got my attention. "You mean I have a way to pay for Hogwarts?" I couldn't believe this. Someone I had never met had left me money. It was unbelievable._

"_Yes. The key you need for the bank is included. Your Mum really didn't give you a choice. This gives you a choice, Sam."_

_I stopped from opening the envelope and looked up at my father. "I still can't come home, can I?"_

"_I'm afraid not. I tried talking to her yesterday and today…but you know how she is."_

_I nodded my head. Everyone in the family knew how Mum was. "She doesn't know about any of this, does she?_

"_Of course not. She would have a field day with this."_

"_Are you taking me to get my supplies?" I was entering a whole different world and I didn't want to step into the unknown all alone._

"_No, I can't. Your Mum would get too suspicious and she can't find out about this. I'm sure the letter will tell you everything…where to go and so forth. Now come on, we need to get back."_

_After coming home, I opened the letter, my curiosity getting the better of me. I read through the pages, learning where the Leaky Cauldron was, how to get to Diagon Alley, Gringotts Bank, King's Cross and Platform 9 ¾ and much more. _

'_It's a good thing these places are in London.' I thought. 'It's easy enough to get there from here.'_

_The next day, after my brothers read the letter, it was decided that they would come with me to Diagon Alley and help me hide my school supplies. They would also take me to King's Cross and send me off._

_The day we went to Diagon Alley we told Mum that we were going to the park to play some football so she would expect us to be gone for hours. However we headed towards London and the Leaky Cauldron instead. Once we got to Diagon Alley, all four of us were shocked at what we saw. Well, Billy was more fascinated. Even the goblins at Gringotts Bank interested him._

'_Billy should be the one to go to Hogwarts…not me.' I thought as Billy's attention was once again drawn to another store._

"_They do use brooms!" The joyous expression quickly left his face as he turned his head to look at us. "What's Quidditch?"_

_We looked at him in surprise, not believing that there was something magical that Billy had not read about._

"_You haven't read about it?" E.J. questioned._

"_No." Billy almost whispered in response, his eyes focused on something behind us. His eyes widened. "Cauldrons." He pushed by us and made his way across the street._

"_Billy, we need to get Sam's supplies. This isn't a play day for you." E.J. teased._

"_She needs a cauldron, doesn't she?" Billy pointed out, a smile on his face, knowing that he would be able to see, and further explore, the cauldrons._

"_Ya, I do." I confirmed._

"_Where are we going next"? Nate asked after we walked out of the cauldron store._

"_How about to buy my books?" I asked, looking down at my list._

_E.J. nodded his head in agreement while Billy looked somewhat sad that he could no longer choose the destination._

_After buying my books at Flourish and Blotts, we headed off to Madam Malkin's to get fitted for my school robes, and bought other supplies. One of the items on the list finally caught our attention._

"_Quills and ink?" Nate seemed quite surprised that witches and wizards were still writing with feather quills._

"_Haven't they heard of pens?" I asked in a whisper. Nate wasn't the only one that was shocked._

"_You think they would have after everything that we've seen." E.J. agreed._

_Even though I bought the quills and ink, I made a mental note to still bring my own pens and notebooks. I had a feeling that I would still need them and if by chance I didn't need them, I knew that I would want them. I was something of a pen collector._

_While we were walking down the alley, ready to leave, we passed by the Owl Emporium again and my attention was caught by these beautiful birds. My great grandmother had stated in the letter that owls were used for post, which would explain why one had delivered my Hogwarts letter. I wanted to buy one so I could have my own personal owl to deliver post to my brothers. However, there wasn't a way to hide an owl from Mum while I was still at home._

"_Come on, Sam. Maybe you can buy one next year." Nate pulled me away from the store and down the street so we could return home._

My memories were interrupted by a red head with startling green eyes walking into my compartment. "Hi, mind if I join you?"

"No." I really didn't care if someone sat in here with me or not.

"My name's Lily Evans. I'm a first year."

"Me too. I'm Sam Parker."

The train started moving and both of us turned our attention to the station as we were leaving.

"This is so weird." I heard myself saying, still not believing everything that I was seeing and happening to me.

"You mean you didn't come from a wizarding family either?" Lily asked excitedly.

I shook my head. "No. I didn't think witches and wizards existed until a few weeks ago." I answered almost excitedly myself because I had met someone like me.

"I know what you mean. Here I was thinking I was going crazy because of odd things I had been doing and then I get a letter telling me I've been accepted to this school."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Don't feel quite as crazy now, knowing that there are others like us."

"Exactly."

'Of course,' I added in my head, 'we might all be crazy but at least there are a good number of us.'

Even though I was still somewhat depressed about my family, I felt some joy, for I knew I had just made a friend, which made me feel better. I won't have to walk into that school of…people…by myself. It seemed like half an hour later that our compartment door slid open, a small dark hair girl walking in.

"May I join you two?" her voice shook a bit…seemed like she was scared out of her wits, "The only other compartment with available space had two boys in it…and a girl. I don't much like being around boys."

"Sure," Lily smiled kindly, knowing she was going to get along with this girl right off the bat, "We have two available seats…you can go ahead and take one."

I squinted my eyes in concentration…her black hair and blue eyes looked extremely familiar…where have I…softly gasping in recognition, I turned to look out the window. She was a younger version of the girl that married Billy in my…dream! This girl really exists! I'm not going crazy! Or…maybe I am!

"My name is Robin Hickmenn…I'm a first year. I'm actually quite excited," she pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, "Mum can't stop talking about Hogwarts, and now she's happy that I get to come too."

"So you come from a wizarding family," Lily asked, curiosity written all over her face. She wondered as to what it must be like to know about having magic blood all of your life.

"Yes…well, not really," Robin laughed nervously, "My mum's a witch…my dad's not…nasty shock for him when he found out I was too…he was kind of hoping it would end with mum."

I turned to look at her, surprise evident in her eyes, "What exactly is a wizarding family? Is that, like, a whole family that is able to do…they're all…" I grimaced as I realized how difficult it was for me to still come to terms with my new world.

"Witches and wizards…yes, that is a wizarding family, Sam," Lily smiled sympathetically. Obviously she was raised with the same beliefs towards magic folk that her sister Petunia had towards her…which her parents did not agree with. They had been so proud and overjoyed when she received her letter.

Robin giggled, her cheeks tinting a pretty shade of pink, "Complete wizarding families are rare and far in between…they are known as Purebloods. There are so few of them, that they sometimes have no choice than to marry non-magic people…which are known as Muggles. I take it you two are from a Muggle family?"

"Yes," both Lily and I nodded their heads.

"Well," I decided to confide in both girls, "My great grandmother on my father's side was a…a…witch…father says that's where I got it from."

Robin cocked her head, "So does it skip generations or something?"

"Dad said every third generation…and only girls."

"Well, that's strange," Robin gnawed on her lip, not having heard of that particular type of thing happening before, "I don't mean to be rude or anything…but what are your names?"

* * *

**AN: **Here's the fourth chapter! As y'all are able to see, it is split between Hollie and Sam. Some chapters will be like that, others will be either just Hollie or Sam. Hope y'all enjoy and please send some reviews our way! 


	5. Sorting and Discoveries

**Disclaimer:** All characters except for Hollie, Sam, and other non-Rowling characters belong to J.K. Rowling and we are not (unfortunately) getting any profit for this story.

* * *

**Sorting and Discoveries **

_Sam's POV_

Together, Lily, Robin and I climbed out of the train and turned towards a voice which was calling out for the first years.

"Oh my…" I stopped walking and my eyes widened at the sight of the man standing in front of me. He was huge! "They exist." I heard myself whisper.

All of the first years followed him to a lake where boats seemed to be waiting for us. Lily, Robin and I climbed into one and it started to move across the lake on its own, with Lily and I both grabbing a hold of the sides, startled at the movement.

'How am I ever going to get used to this?' My thoughts were interrupted as I heard gasps all around me and I glanced up to see what had startled everyone. It was Hogwarts. There were no other words to describe it except for huge and gorgeous.

"I've never seen anything like it." Lily stated in awe.

"Me either." Robin and I echoed.

The closer we got, the more magnificent it became and I couldn't believe that this was my school. I would get lost for sure.

After the boats docked on the shore and we stepped onto firm ground, the giant lead us to the steps and through the massive doors. Waiting there for us was a woman wearing emerald green robes, glasses with her hair pulled back into a tight bun.

"Hullo Professor McGonagall. The first years are here"

"Good evening Hagrid."

I made a mental note of the names. They would be needed later, especially Professor McGonagall, since she would be one of my teachers.

For the first time I looked around at my fellow first years. Standing on my left was Robin. Further over to my left, I easily spotted two boys and a girl. One of the boys had shaggy black hair and kept trying to put his arm around the girl's shoulder.

'Smart girl' I thought to myself as I observed her elbowing him in the ribs. After all, he didn't appear to be a boy that one wanted to be around.

The other boy was tall, thin, wore glasses and had messy brown hair. Who ever thought that someone's hair could be that messy? It stuck up in every direction possible. But most importantly, he was laughing at the actions of the other two.

I shook my head, Billy's philosophy echoing through my head. "The one laughing is just as bad as the perpetrator 'cause he ain't doing jack-shit."

I glanced to my right, looking past Lily, and spotted another two boys. One was somewhat short and chubby while the other was a tad taller and rather lean. I scrunched up my nose in concentration. Where had I seen that boy before? To my greatest disappointment, I was not able to figure the mystery out. I had been interrupted by Professor McGonagall starting to lead us into the Great Hall, after she had finished talking about the different houses and earning points.

As we walked towards the front of the hall, I looked up at the ceiling, mimicking my fellow first years. A gasp left my mouth as I stared at what should have been a ceiling but instead it looked like the night sky.

'How in the world? It has to be magic. This is a school for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Billy would love this…he should be the one here, not me.'

All of the first years gathered in front of the stairs at the Head Table while Professor McGonagall continued up the steps, grabbing a stool and an old hat. After setting the stool in place, the hat was set on top. The majority of the fist years, along with myself, jumped when the hat started to sing.

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

"When I call your name, you will sit on the stool, and I will place the sorting hat on your head. Then you will go sit with your house." McGonagall informed us once the song was done.

'I wish my name wasn't at the end of the alphabet.' I thought as Hollie Marie Belledrex, the girl I saw earlier with the other two boys, was sorted into Gryffindor.

'What a klutz.' Hollie had tripped over one of the legs of the stool, sending herself, and the stool, flying into the ground. Cocking my head, I looked at her as she walked towards the Gryffindor table, 'I wonder if she does that often.'

Shortly after that, Sirius Black, the boy with the shaggy black hair, was called. He seemed to be arguing with the hat for five minutes before the hat yelled Gryffindor. There was a collective gasp and whispering in surprise.

'What's the big deal? Besides the fact that an old hat just decided where he was going.' I wondered as Lily leaned closer to me.

"Why is everyone so surprised?"

I shrugged. "I was just wondering the same thing."

There was a Ravenclaw, a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin before Lily and Robin were placed into Gryffindor.

'Okay. That's where I want to go.' I decided as Robin made her way to the Gryffindor table. 'But what if I'm placed in Slytherin?' I worried, since all of the Slytherins' I've seen so far looked downright mean and if I was placed there, I might as well go home to St. Anne's School for Psychologically Disturbed Young Ladies.

"Lupin, Remus John." McGonagall's voice broke into my thoughts and I looked up at the boy, still trying to figure out where I had seen him before. My eyes widened in realization, when for the first time, I saw his whole face as he sat in the chair. It was the one from that dream. The one I married. Well, a younger version anyway. So Robin isn't the only one that actually exists. He does as well. What does this mean? My mind started racing and I barely noticed when he was placed into Gryffindor. After several more first years, McGonagall looked at the list once more.

"Parker, Samantha Jean."

'Finally.' I walked towards the stool and sat down. The hat slid down and settled around my head, covering my eyes from viewing the rest of the room.

"I knew we would be seeing a witch from your family again this year." The voice wasn't speaking out loud, but instead it sounded in my head. "Your family line contains powerful witches and you are no exception…but there are differences in you that will make you far greater. Your intelligence and independence are assets that will help take you far. I believe you would do well in Ravenclaw like the ancestors before you, but the best place for you is Gryffindor." The hat yelled out Gryffindor and was taken from my head.

I stood up and walked towards the table which was cheering loudly. Thankfully there was an open seat next to Robin. As I sat down next to her, I noticed that Remus Lupin was sitting across from me.

"Hi." He smiled and I saw the same light blue eyes as in my dream.

Before I truly realized how beautiful those eyes were or that my heart skipped a beat at the sight of his smile, I saw an older version of Remus holding a baby which had a tuft of brown hair and brown eyes.

"So James, would you like mashed carrots or mashed squash? Quite frankly if I were you, I'd choose the carrots. I don't know why your mother bought squash." He smiled at the sight of the baby in his arms and kissed him on the forehead.

I jumped out of my vision when someone touched my hand.

"Are you okay? Your eyes turned purple." Concern, and a bit of interest, was showing on Remus' face.

I immediately pulled back, nodding my head. "It…that…that happens…some...times." I looked down at the table, part of me not believing that I couldn't talk to a boy. After all, all my friends were boys. I was used to talking with them, heck, I wrestled with them! However, another part of me, which was much louder, was still screaming at being in such close proximity with the one that I married…I mean…yeah, I'm not making sense to myself.

I turned my head towards Robin, not wanting to look at Remus. "Talk to me."

"What?" She whispered back, seeming quite surprised at my sudden change in behavior.

"Is he staring at me?" For some reason, I had to know.

"Yah…he looks quite worried actually."

Before I could reply, the messy haired boy squeezed between Remus and the chubby boy, who I just realized was there, sitting next to him. Somehow in the process of sitting down, he hit a plate and sent it flying into the air.

'How did he do that? Those are some great reflexes.' I thought as Remus' arms shot out quickly and smoothly, catching the plate in mid-air.

"Hey Remus! I haven't seen you in forever!" The boy exclaimed, not seeming to notice what had just happened.

"Hey James." Remus replied, his attention now off of me, much to my relief.

Hollie leaned over Sirius. "No kidding Remus. You just disappeared all those years ago. Where have you been?"

"Seriously, mate. It was like you fell off the face of the earth," Sirius threw his arms up into the air in a dramatic flare, taking advantage of the momentum to place an arm around Hollie's shoulders. I tried not to laugh out loud as she immediately elbowed him in the ribs hard enough to make him gasp.

Remus simply shrugged, not sure what to say. How could he tell his friends what had happened? Even if he wanted to, the risk was too great. He was lucky to even be attending Hogwarts and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize his chance at a formal education.

"You guys already know each other?" Lily asked, curiosity written all over her face.

The four of them nodded but before any of them could further reply, Dumbledore stood up and began talking.

* * *

_Hollie's POV _(Before the Sorting)

I took a quick look around at all the first years. We all stood towards the front of the Great Hall, watching Professor McGonagall place an old, tattered hat on a wooden stool. I shifted, bumping shoulders with James, as the rip near the brim opened to sing this year's song, which my brother had told me contained nine clues as to how to accomplish the challenge I had to do to be sorted into my house. He had told me that once the hat is placed on my head, I would be transported to a room where I would have to perform a chosen challenge, which will determine which house I belonged in. I didn't know why they didn't just pick the obvious one for me. I descended from a long line of Ravenclaw purebloods on my mother's side. It only made sense to be placed in the Ravenclaw House.

"Belledrex, Hollie Marie," McGonagall read from the parchment scroll in her hands.

Oh no! I bit my lip as I slowly walked towards the stool. I missed the nine clues. I won't know what to do. I'll fail the task. They'llsendmebackhomeandI'llnevergettocomebacktoHogwarts!

I stopped breathing when she placed the hat on my head, which slipped down and covered my face.

"I'm doomed," I whispered, tears of desperation gathering at the corners of my eyes.

"Doomed?" a tiny voice whispered in my head, "Why, no dear, today is not a day of doom but a day of celebration."

I gasped, for I realized the voice belonged to the hat.

"Surprised? What were you expecting? A challenge you must complete? My my. One thing for sure, it is quite a challenge as to where to place you. Being who you are, I should just take the easy way out and place you in Ravenclaw. You, like all your ancestors, would do great there. But there's so much more to you than smarts and guts. I can sense a desperate desire for adventure, a fierce loyalty for others, and bravery I have never seen in any of your predecessors before. Not only that, but you have a destiny to meet, loose ends to tie, and to forge a powerful and unbreakable partnership with her whose blood you share, blood which has been foreseen to end in death. There's only one other place that will push you to your limits and beyond –GRYFFINDOR!"

I sat there, shocked. 'Gryffindor? Gryffindor is filled with people who lack common sense! Me in Gryffindor? No. It can't be. I'm supposed to be a Ravenclaw, like the rest of my family. My mother is going to disown me.' I looked up, for Professor McGonagall had gently squeezed my shoulder.

"Please, dear, go to your table. The sooner we finish this, the better," she sighed deeply, for it had been a long day for her.

I stepped off the stool, but having forgotten that I had hooked my right foot on the stool's leg, I pitched forward, landing on my hands and knees. I was so thankful my long curls covered my beet red face for the entire Hall had erupted in gales of laughter. I looked up and took James' hand, which he offered freely, a huge grin on his face.

"I see you're still a klutz," he whispered as I passed him on my way to the Gryffindor table. Pretending to trip, I stepped hard on his foot, smiling widely at his yelp of pain.

"I see I can still cause you pain," I sniggered, grinning into his hazel eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that Dominic was still in shock at my being placed in the Gryffindor house. As I sat down, I swore to myself never to tell him what the Sorting Hat had said. He was already ticked off at my having a better wand than his. One thing I did know –being in different houses was going to make it harder for payback –but not impossible.

The sorting was taking forever!

I looked up as the hat called out a Gryffindor. The last two first years had been placed in Slytherin. My jaw dropped as I saw the new addition to the Gryffindor house. No way! That hat had to be malfunctioning. First, it keeps me out of Ravenclaw and now it places this should-be-Slytherin into Gryffindor.

"Hullo, Hollie Love," Sirius smiled boyishly, seating in the empty seat next to me. I tightened my lips, staring at my empty golden plate.

"Aren't you gonna say how glad you are that I'm in Gryffindor with you?" I swatted his hand away, for he kept trying to take my hand.

"Obviously Hogwarts needs a new Sorting Hat," I whispered fiercely, pulling my hair out of his hand. He had been flirting with me and trying to touch me since he joined us at the Hogwarts Express. It was getting rather annoying.

"Evans, Lily."

I looked up to see a familiar looking redhead walking towards the stool, but at the moment she was about to turn around, Sirius blocked my line of vision. I pushed him away, for he was trying to kiss my cheek.

"What is your problem?" I stared at him, then quickly shut my eyes, but not quick enough, for I saw _a black cloaked figure pulling back its hood, a rattling sound coming from a wide open mouth, emanating a putrid, rotten smell that almost made me gag_. I felt sick to my stomach, for I knew what that had been. I just couldn't understand why looking into Sirius' blue-gray eyes had made me see that foul creature.

"Hickmenn, Robin Lee." I looked up to watch a raven haired, blue eyed girl sit on the stool, holding her breath as McGonagall placed the hat on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Lupin, Remus John."

I was shocked out of my brooding mood. I couldn't believe it! He made it to Hogwarts. Remus and I had been childhood best friends…along with James and Sirius. I had not seen the three of them for over three years. Sirius, the one I once had a girlish crush on, had stopped hanging out with us after his mother forbade him. James and I just couldn't get along after the marriage comment I overheard. And Remus had just disappeared after one summer vacation. After such a long time of not seeing or talking to them, it was truly exciting to be in Hogwarts with two out of three of them. I stood up and cheered with the rest of the table as the hat yelled out Gryffindor.

"Come on, Hollie Love," Sirius took a hold of my hand, holding it tight as I tried to tug it away, "You used to be in love with me. I really doubt that has changed."

"Oh, but it has, Black," I finally got my hand back as McGonagall called out, "Parker, Samantha Jean."

"Ever since your mother called my mother a Muggle loving pureblood traitor, I knew you would grow up to be just like her and your high and mighty pop," I whispered heatedly, for he was still trying to grab my hair. As children, he had been extremely fascinated by all those curls.

"I am nothing like them," he whispered angrily, grabbing the nape of my neck, his fingers tangling into my hair, "I refuse to be like them. Listen to me, Hollie. I've always liked you, and I still like you. And I know that you still like me too. I can see it in your eyes."

"You can definitely see something in my eyes," I said sweetly, placing my hand on his thigh, carefully feeling for the pressure point that would cause him the most pain, "And that is disgust!"

Sirius quickly let go, biting his lip to keep himself from screaming in pain. I smiled happily, for I knew he would leave me alone for the next ten minutes. I was able to cheer for the next two Gryffindor additions, a boy named Peter Pettigrew and a girl named Daria Phillips, as well as watch the hat make up its mind about James Harold Potter.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I stood up to cheer with the rest of the Gryffindor table, smiling brightly at James. Sitting down, I blushed for my stomach had growled loudly. Sirius sniggered, a small smile on his face.

"Hungry for me, my pet," he whispered into my ear, snaking his arm around my waist.

"You're a pig, Black," I said to him, irritation quite evident in my black eyes. Looking around, I noticed the sorting was finished. Elbowing Sirius in the ribs, I leaned forward to listen to Dumbledore's welcoming speech.

I just knew, felt it in my bones, that once things were explained to me, this year, and the ones to follow, would be the best in my life. I couldn't wait for classes to start tomorrow, to find my niche, make friends, discover my talents, and accomplish any task set before me.

The feast appeared before our very eyes, so much food we all stared at it before digging in. Talking to the people around me, I enjoyed my food, occasionally swatting Sirius' hands away. 'I hope this is due to puberty; otherwise, I am in for a nasty fight once his hormones kick in.'

* * *

_Sam's POV_

After the feast, Lily, Robin and I were walking with our fellow Gryffindors to our house dormitory. The moving pictures that covered the walls were a constant reminder of Billy's love for magical things. He would have been absolutely fascinated with this place. I kept talking with Lily and Robin so my mind wouldn't dwell on the people who were not there. People who I might not see again…ever.

I tried to clear my mind of these thoughts as we walked through the door which was actually a big hole in the wall. When we walked in, the common room was already full of students. After the Prefects told us we would be receiving our timetables at breakfast and where our rooms were, I headed up to my new room and found my bed. I quickly changed clothes and crawled into bed, making sure that the bed curtains were closed. I no longer wanted to talk to anyone. The activities of this day and night had been enough to mostly keep my mind off of the depressing twist which my life had taken. I held my stuffed wolf tighter as I heard my roommates walking into the room, talking. Tears fell down my face as I fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

Pulling my pyjama top over my head, I looked around my new bedroom, which I shared with four other first year Gryffindor girls. One of them had already gone to bed, her bed curtains drawn to keep out the light.

From their conversation, it was obvious that the redhead and the brunette met each other at the train. They seemed to be trying to get to know each other's lives in one night.

"So are you a Pureblood, Half-blood, or Muggle born?"

I looked up from braiding my hair and into the redhead's bright green eyes, which were looking past me, terror written all over her face. A cute baby sat inside a crib, big green eyes, identical to hers, staring at his mother.

"Please, not Harry," she begged, taking a step back, closer to the crib, her wand before her.

"Step aside, you silly girl," evil's voice filled the room, gripping my heart with its' cold claws.

"Hey," I stepped back, my braid half done in my hand. The redhead was staring at me, looking somewhat irritated, "Are you going to answer my question?"

"Oh," I looked down at my bedspread. She hadn't noticed, "I'm a Pureblood," I smiled at her, "Which doesn't matter much. Most of our best witches and wizards are either Half-blood or Muggle born."

Lily cocked her head, smiling back at me, "I'm Lily Evans. What's your name?"

"Hollie Marie Belledrex. Call me Hollie."

"And I'm Robin Lee Hickmenn," the girl in the bed next to mine spoke up, her smiling blue eyes shifting from Lily to me, then to the pale blonde sitting on the window seat, quietly staring at the three of us.

"I'm Daria Phillips," her silvery voice slowly made itself heard as it wound through the airy space of our chamber.

"So that means she's Samantha Jean Parker," I said, pointing at the curtain drawned bed as I pulled back my bedspread.

"Yeah," Robin slid down from her sitting position, "I hope she's not feeling sick. Tomorrow's first day of classes."

"She's fine," Lily stated, fluffing her pillows, "Just a little homesick, I think. She's Muggle born too."

"Gosh," I bit my lip, looking from Lily to Robin and back, "It's gotta be tough getting used to a whole new world."

"Kinda," Lily's low laugh was filled with warmth, "But we'll survive."

"I'm sure you will," I said genuinely, "You'll be giving us a run for our wands."

* * *

**AN:** Here's another chapter! Hope y'all are enjoying it…and if you are, please let us know! If there's anything that confuses you, angers you, or awes you, let us know about that too!

…and yes, we did take the Sorting Hat's song from the first book. We figured it would be easier than to write our own.


	6. Classes and Dumbledore's Office

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and other characters who are not found in the books…there are too many of them to mention here… are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are receiving no profit for our story.

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**Classes and Dumbledore's Office**

_Sam's POV_

'Someone's singing,' I realized as I stirred from my blissful state of sleep. I placed my pillow over my head wanting to drown the voice out. Whoever it was was too cheerful for this early in the morning. My alarm hadn't even gone off yet. As the person came out of the shower, the voice only grew louder.

Giving up on blocking the voice out, I pulled myself out of the comfort of my covers to steal a glance at the person making that gag-awful noise. I peeked out from behind the curtains and saw Hollie standing by her bed with a huge smile on her face and singing.

"Good morning." She greeted when she saw me watching.

Instead of responding, I closed the curtains and went back under the covers, pillow, once again, over my head.

"How rude." Hollie's muffled voice infiltrated my pillow.

Rude? It was rude waking people up in the morning with excessive singing. Don't people know you weren't supposed to sing in the morning? There should be a law. I hope she doesn't do this every morning. Of course if she does…I smiled despite being upset for getting woken up. Living with three brothers, I had learned how to survive.

I settled under the covers, my mind now awake, filled with memories of pranks I had played on my brothers' for waking me up unnecessarily in the morning. With these memories, and hearing the girls talking, falling back asleep was impossible. So I decided to go ahead and take my shower. Showers were one of the only things that could wake me up in the morning and it was about time that I became a civil person. After my shower, it could be a good day.

* * *

As I stood under the running water, my mind started to wake up and I realized I had been unfair to Hollie this morning. Yes, she had woken me up this morning but this doesn't mean I should start planning revenge. Maybe she doesn't sing every morning. I should at least give her the benefit of the doubt before I start planning pranks to pull on her.

I finished washing my hair and got out of the shower. After drying off, I wrapped the towel around myself and walked out of the bathroom to finish getting ready.

"Good morning." Lily said tentatively. She had noticed the obvious -I am not a morning person.

"Good morning." I looked up at her, smiling, but instead of seeing Lily standing in our dorm room, I saw her sitting in a living room, playing with a green eyed baby. His baby giggles filled my ears as she tickled him.

"Lily, I'm back."

I turned my head to see an older James walking into the room. I might have only just met the boy but there was no mistaking that hair.

"Hi, Harry," He picked Harry up, swinging him in the air, "How was your day?" James asked, not expecting an answer.

"Dada."

Smiles appeared on their faces as they realized that their son had just spoken his first word.

I shook my head as the dream ended and noticed that Lily and Robin had not seemed to detect what had just happed. 'How could someone not notice my eyes turning purple?'

"You're not a morning person until you've had a shower, are you?" Robin picked up her brush and started running it through her long locks.

I nodded my head. "I hate the mornings. I'd much rather stay in bed and sleep. A shower helps wake me up though."

The conversation continued as the three of us got ready for the day. Then all of a sudden, I had to know. "Is Hollie already at breakfast?" I tried to keep my voice neutral. Even though I knew Hollie didn't deserve a prank for waking me up, it did not change the fact that I was still upset about being woken up earlier than necessary.

Robin shook her head, "She said she'd wait for us downstairs in the common room."

'Great.' I grumbled to myself. 'Walking to breakfast with her was not what I had in mind for a good day.'

"Okay. Let's go." I replied out loud, a smile on my face.

We walked downstairs and there was Hollie sitting on the couch and talking to the boys, Remus, James, Sirius and the other first year Gryffindor boy. Hollie turned her head when she heard us coming down the stairs. I looked into her face and I no longer saw her sitting in the common room but out by the Hogwarts lake instead. She was standing underneath a tree with James and Sirius. Hollie and Sirius were facing each other, looking into each other's eyes, left hands held between them, fingers laced, connecting the two of them together. The two couldn't have looked happier and it was surprising they even knew James was there.

James had his back to the lake and was facing the couple. In his right hand was his wand, which was pointed at the couple's joined hands. Contrary to the couple's happy faces, James looked scared to death. In fact, he looked like he was about to sign his best friends to an early death.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He repeatedly asked, looking from Sirius to Hollie and back again. His wand hand shook slightly, due to his overshot nerves.

"Yes, we're sure. Get on with it, James." Sirius replied, his eyes never leaving Hollie's.

Before I could see what exactly James was going to do, the scene disappeared before my eyes and I was once again in the common room, wondering if there was anything I could do to stop this craziness. I looked around me and noticed that everyone was talking, completely oblivious to my state of mind. Then again, Remus was staring at me with a curious and intrigued expression on his face.

* * *

"Hi, I'm Hollie," she reached over James to shake my hand, a big smile on her face. The salt shaker had been knocked over by her elbow.

"Sam," I couldn't help but add, "Are you always this cheerful in the morning?"

She nodded her head, her eyes glinting with unsuppressed joy. I want to shoot her. "Of course! Mornings are such a beautiful time of the day…the best part of the day actually. Every day starts off a good day."

Yes…definitely too cheerful. Even though I usually ignore cheerful morning people because they drive me insane, I just had to ask, "What time do you get up in the morning?"

"I wake up at 5:30, every morning, to run." She took a piece of toast from one of the plates in the center of the table.

"5:30? In the morning?" I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Who would choose to get up at such an indecent hour?

"You get up at 5:30, Holls? Even I don't get up that early."

I turned my head, careful not to look at the person directly in the face and saw Remus seating diagonal from me. I couldn't seem to get away from that boy. Granted, it was only our first morning here, but it was still unnerving being this close to him.

"Do you run in the morning, Remus?" Hollie asked him already knowing the answer. A gleam in her eye indicated that she also knew something else…something which might be just between them two.

Remus shifted in his seat, a little worried by what Hollie might be thinking of, and hoping that it wasn't the reason he chose to sit here for breakfast. "Well, no." He simply answered, choosing to ignore the look he saw in Hollie's eyes.

"I didn't think so."

"5:30? Who would wake up that early?" I heard myself asking again. I couldn't seem to get over it.

"Look what you did to her, Hollie." Lily pointed out.

"I think you scared her." James added.

As I looked down at my plate and started eating, I could see Remus smiling as he ate his own food. I sighed, hoping he wasn't smiling because of me. That would be something I didn't need right now…a boy liking me…and least of all the one from that dream. This might be a very long term.

* * *

I looked down into my cauldron, watching the color turn from a dark blue to a light purple as I stirred the liquid. A smile spread on my face as the potion continued to darken…just like it was supposed to.

During my first week, it was apparent that I had a natural talent for Potions. My other classes were interesting but everything was still so new. My brain was trying to take in a million things at once, which doesn't work very well –it kind of fries your brain. Potions, on the other hand came easy for me. Maybe it was because it reminded me of cooking…not that I liked cooking… but it was familiar to me.

Looking up at the board, I saw the next two directions. Putting in the porcupine quills and then stirring clockwise another two times.

"How did you get the potion that color?"

I glanced up to see Lily looking into my cauldron. My response was a simple shrug. I didn't want to be rude and say it was because I was simply following the directions.

"Maybe you're stirring too fast." I suggested after noticing that her potion was the light purple instead of the dark. "You can't be that far off."

She nodded her head and tried my suggestion. A few minutes later Lily's potion had reached the desired shade of purple.

"Hollie! What did you do?" I heard Remus exclaim, with what seemed a slight hint of amusement in his voice.

Looking up at the two sitting in front of me, I saw that Hollie's potion was turning orange. How in the world did that happen?

"I don't know! I was following the instructions." Hollie whined with a scowl on her face.

'Apparently not.' I thought as I added the next ingredient. If she was following the directions, her potion wouldn't be orange. She was obviously doing something wrong…but I wasn't about to mention that to her now. She was upset enough already.

"Hollie…you must have missed something for your potion to turn orange." Remus pointed at her cauldron, sounding a bit like a jerk with his lack of tact.

"Oh, shut it! Yours isn't much better!" She pointed at his potion, which was a light shade of blue.

"It's closer than yours." He mumbled turning his attention back to his work.

"What was that Remus?" Hollie demanded her hands at her hips as she stared at him, her scowl getting darker by the second.

"Nothing." He quickly responded his hands up in the air.

I held back a laugh as Lily leaned over to whisper in my ear. "He's right…but you would think he would have known not to say anything."

I nodded my head in response, not wanting to answer. Remus slightly turned his head, giving the impression that he had overheard what Lily said. But he couldn't have. Lily hadn't spoken that loud. It was impossible that he had heard.

To keep my thoughts away from Remus I turned my attention back to my work, which had been neglected for the past few seconds. However, my attention was quickly diverted about a minute later when Peter's potion started smoking and bubbling. Robin, who was sitting next to him, was staring at the boiling liquid with apprehension and was slowly moving away from their table.

"Um… Professor…" Peter squeaked as he slowly moved away from the potion.

The potion started boiling over the top of the cauldron, and in response the rest of the class left their own tables and ran as far away as they could.

"I think it's gonna blow!" James exclaimed as he quickly made his way across the room.

BOOM!

I opened my eyes to see Peter covered in green goop from head to toe. Apparently he hadn't moved fast enough. Small boils were breaking out on his hands and face. With a squeamish look, Professor Slughorn asked Robin to take him down to the hospital wing.

Sirius turned towards James, a look of fake astonishment on his face. "James, you can see into the future! Can you predict something about me?"

James concentrated on Sirius' face before he said, "Next time you ask Hollie out…she'll say no."

Remus, who was standing near them, laughed. "Come on James. That's not much of a predication. She tells him no at least five times a day."

"Now Remus," Sirius turned to look at him with an offended look on his face, "How do you know the next time won't be yes? Eventually, she'll realize that she is crazy in love with me."

"And then he wakes up." Hollie mutters, giving a look to Remus that seemed only he could understand.

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. The whole class turned to watch Professor McGonagall walk into the classroom. She surveyed the mess around her with a look of disapproval before turning her attention to Professor Slughorn. "Miss Belledrex and Miss Parker are expected in the Headmaster's office immediately."

Hollie and I glanced at each other with identical expressions, the same thought in both our heads, 'What did we do!'

"Very well…this class has been disrupted anyway. Everyone is dismissed." With a wave of his wand, all the potions disappeared, including the mess Peter made.

Hollie and I gathered our things and followed Professor McGonagall out of the room towards Dumbledore's office.

* * *

_Hollie's POV _

Sitting on the comfortable chair, I stared at the decrepit old bird, knowing that at any time, it would go up in flames, just the way I wish my jumbled thoughts would. They kept going in circles, chasing themselves, cramming my head full of ideas, questions, doubts, so many emotions that I was having a hard time distinguishing any of them. My face was frozen in shock, which saved the Headmaster from seeing the circus within my head.

I was an Oracle. I could see into the future. That was what had been going on with me for the past month. Not only that, but, due to my own deductions, I now know some of the horrible things that will happen in the future. I just couldn't understand, couldn't believe it. If all this is true, then my brother will kill my father, my mother will blame me, and the girl sitting next to me will hate me so much that she will end up killing me! This just doesn't make any sense. I shifted in my seat, uncrossing my ankles, for I wanted to get up, but my legs wouldn't obey me.

"So both she and I are Oracles? We can both see the future?" The blonde next to me asked tentatively, observing Dumbledore with a guarded look. Having been a Muggle all her life, this was probably as much a shock as when she received her Hogwarts letter. I felt an insane desire to laugh my head off, but I held it, feeling a knot growing in my throat. This was not fair. I did not ask for this. Why? Why?

"Why?" I jumped, not realizing that I had said that out loud.

"Now, Miss Belledrex, you need to calm down. To answer your question, Miss Parker, yes, both you and Miss Belledrex can see into the future. Now, to answer yours, this is a wonderful magical gift bestowed upon you by the magical blood that runs in your veins."

"Gift? A wonderful –magical –gift?" I looked up at Dumbledore, anger beginning to show on my face, "You think it is a wonderful gift for two eleven year olds to see the horrible things that will happen in the future?"

I was finally able to stand and the energy running through me did not allow me to stay still, so I began to pace, looking at all the portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses. Dumbledore had many interesting gadgets in his office, and my roving eyes were able to get a glimpse of them all.

"I don't see horrible things," Samantha said slowly, trying hard not to yell at the girl to sit down. All that pacing was making her nervous.

"WHAT?" I looked behind me, for just at that moment, the bird went up in flames, a pile of ashes collecting underneath the perch where the bird used to be. How I wished my life was that simple: to be born, to grow, to die, and to be born again.

"What do you mean, you don't see horrible things," I asked more quietly, taking deep breaths to calm myself, "Both of us can see into the future, so that means that we should be able to see the same things. If you don't see horrible things, and I do, then what do you see?" I felt a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach as she looked at me with big brown eyes. She gnawed at her bottom lip, then, looking right into my eyes, she answered my question.

"I suppose you can say I see good things," she smiled softly at me, "My first vision was of my little sister scoring the winning goal for her football team. It was so real; I could feel all the excitement. It was like I was there! I was really freaked out when I found myself sitting in my kitchen again. It felt so real! Does it feel the same way for you," she asked, then realizing her question was not the best to ask under the present circumstances. I looked at her, wondering if my eyes were turning red with anger, rage, and envy. I felt a growing jealousy within me as I tried to imagine what it would be like to see only good things and not all the horrible stuff that I saw.

"Yeah…you could say that I live my visions…just like you," and so unlike yours, I thought to myself, envy gnawing at my heart. 'This is not fair, so not fair,' I thought to myself as I walked towards a portrait of a young looking witch. Staring at her, I reached out and poked her, rudely waking her up from her sleep.

"How dare you wake me up? Who do you think you –" her large black eyes focused on me, and then a smile spread across her dainty looking face, so much like my own, "Hollie, my pet! You have finally made it to Hogwarts!"

"Granna," I interrupted her tirade of pride, "Did you know about this?"

"Know about what, Bug," she asked, a tell tale attempt to look ignorant stamped across her face.

"About my being able to see the future due to the magical blood passed down through all of you?"

"You have the curse…" Granna's low murmur send chills up my spine.

"It is not a curse," Dumbledore grumbled, pushing himself away from his desk, his eyes showing annoyance at the girl's failure to see what a wonderful asset her Mind could be.

"It is so! My grandmother went crazy because of that gift. She couldn't stand looking at any of us. My mother had to grow up without a mother. How _could _you tell her that this is a gift? How could you think of it as an asset? How dare you tell her that life will be the same when she sees those horrible things every time she looks into someone's face? When she looks into_ her _own face and sees the horrible things that will happen in her life?"

My Granna was pulling at her brown peppered hair, pacing back and forth within the boundaries of her frame. She was seriously agitated at the whole situation.

I turned around to look at Samantha, and almost smiled at the look of shock on her face. She turned to look at me, softly asking, "Who is she?"

"That is my great, great, great, great, great grandmother. She's Hogwarts youngest Headmistress. She used to teach Transfiguration before Dumbledore was hired and she was promoted to Headmistress, since the previous one retired," I bit my lip, remembering that she had gotten the good end of this messed up deal. I really liked her, but I knew I couldn't be her friend. I already had too much anger, envy, and jealousy within me, and I knew I had to do something to place distance between us. That way I wouldn't let my emotions get out of hand, and do or say something that would have her hate me so much she'd want to kill me. I turned away, for my eyes had welled up in tears, and I didn't want her to see me crying. This just wasn't fair. I shouldn't be going through this.

"So what are you going to do, Dumbledore?" Granna asked, staring hard at Hogwarts' present Headmaster, "How are you going to help them maintain their Mind under their control? How are you going to help them not go crazy, or worst, have Hollie live the rest of her life with her head bowed down?"

"Do not worry, Meithei. I will be teaching both of the girls Occlumency, so they learn how to manipulate the visions that come into their Mind, opening themselves to live a life that is as normal as possible," Dumbledore turned to look at Sam and then settled his gaze on me, "Are you two willing to add a highly advanced class to your already busy schedule? This class can be rather difficult for first year students, but due to your unique circumstances, I am more than willing to personally teach you and train you in Occlumency, if you are both willing."

"I am," Samantha called out chirpily, her bright smile lighting up her china-doll like face. I turned to look at her, narrowing my eyes, wondering as to why she, being the witch that sees only good things, would want to take Occlumency.

"Hollie?" Both Dumbledore and Granna called out, looking at me for an answer. I stood there, my hands balled into fists. Taking a deep breath, I smiled at Granna's imploring eyes, and then turned to look at Dumbledore, completely ignoring Samantha Jean Parker.

"Yes. I will take Occlumency."

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**AN: **New chapter! The last part of the chapter has been previously posted, then retracted. We've combined it with Sam's first week of classes. Enjoy! Don't forget to review! 


	7. Misscommunication

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and other characters who are not found in the books…there are too many of them to mention here… are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are receiving no profit for our story.

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**Miss-communication**

_Sam's POV_

After leaving the Headmaster's office, I felt the joy inside of me growing and threatening to bubble over. I couldn't help smiling as thoughts of what the Headmaster just told me filled my mind. I was normal!! Well…having visions wasn't unheard of in the wizarding world anyway and I wasn't the only one who had them. I turned towards Hollie and noticed her normally cheerful expression was gone and replaced by an unhappy and somewhat sad look.

"What are you smiling at?" Hollie growled, giving me a dark menacing look.

I bit my lip, realizing Hollie was more mad than sad before I answered. "It feels good to know that I'm not going crazy. Besides, eventually I won't have to see any visions at all. Doesn't that make you happy?"

Hollie stopped in her tracks and turned towards me with shock and…was that jealousy...written on her face. "Why does it matter to you if you learn to block the visions? You're the one that sees the good things!"

I watched Hollie turn and walk away, not waiting for an answer. However, I couldn't let her get away, wanting, no, needing to answer the question. "It doesn't matter if I see good things, it's not natural! I hate that I can't look people in the face. I hate feeling scared and confused because I'm seeing things that are not happening. Can't you understand that Hollie? I don't want to see things that are supposed to happen, even if they are good, as much as you don't want to see whatever it is you see."

"Not nearly as much." Hollie growled and snapped the password to the Fat Lady.

I followed Hollie through the door and all the way up to our dormitory.

"Hollie, I know you said you see bad things but maybe they're not really all that bad." I stopped talking, biting my lip when Hollie whipped her head around to glare at me. "What I meant to say was...well...maybe you should talk to someone about, you know, what you see. Then maybe it won't seem so bad."

"And who do you suggest I talk to, Sam," Hollie snarled at me and sarcasm was dripping from every word, "Remus? James? Robin? Should I really tell them that I can see the future? Should I try to explain that what I see has nothing to do with success and fame because, after all, you are the one that sees the bloody good stuff!"

"Perhaps you can talk to me. After all, who can better understand you than someone who has the same problem?"

Hollie was sitting on her bed, a frown marring her otherwise cheery face, "We do not have the same problem."

"Yes we do! We might not see the same things but we both still have visions." I took a deep breath wishing I had more patience, wanting Hollie and I to understand each other...and maybe become friends as well.

"What was your first vision, Sam? Your sister winning her, what was it-football game?"

"Yeah..." I slowly answered, having a bad feeling I was being set up.

"What else have you seen, Sam?"

"Um..." I felt myself blush slightly as I stared at my feet. There was no way I was going to tell her about the vision of me marrying Remus. "I saw my older brother, Billy, getting married and another holding his baby," I held back a shudder…that was freaky, "I also saw you and Sirius…"

"You want to know what I saw," Hollie interrupted and with every word, she took a step closer to me, "I saw my father on the kitchen floor-dead. I saw James Potter, my friend since childhood, die. I saw Lily Evans get killed," Hollie cocked her head, an evil smile slowly spreading across her face, "and I saw you…"

"Okay, okay, I get the point," Maybe they are that bad I thought as I took a few steps back, looking up to her face and into her slightly slanted black eyes…which were now turning silver, "Oh, bloody hell."

I quickly moved further away but kept my eyes on Hollie, noticing the silver eyes and rigid body frame, "She's bloody frightening…and she's having a vision about me!"

Hollie took a deep breath as her eyes changed back to their usual coal black. She focused her attention on me, a pleased smile on her face.

"Is…" I found myself starting to ask. I really didn't want to know what she saw but at the same time…"Is death all you see?"

"No…" Hollie's smile widened, "Apparently I see broken hearts too."

I froze in place not knowing how to respond. If I had a broken heart, that probably meant there was a boyfriend. Normally the idea of me having a boyfriend would have me laughing but this situation was just weird.

Hollie sighed, her smile becoming more genuine, "You know, Sam, you were right. I do feel much better now that I talked to you about this."

"Hey, anytime," I smiled back, hoping I just made another friend, "Who can better understand you than me?"

"We do not have the same problem." Hollie growled as she snatched her book bag from the floor and headed towards the door.

"Yes we do! We see different things but we both still have visions of the future." I replied and refrained from stomping my foot.

Hollie took a step closer to me and looked into my eyes, "You see babies. I see dead people. Not the same thing."

She turned to walk away but stopped when I called out, stressing my point, "I know what we see is different, Hollie, but it's still freaky seeing your always-going-out with-different-girls brother getting married and holding his baby."

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

I sighed, pulled my wand out of my book bag, whipped around and muttered a jinx my brother used many times to get me to shut up. I stood there watching dispassionately as Sam's mouth disappeared.

Sam touched her face where her mouth used to be, then looked up at me, her brown eyes filled with anger and fear.

"Not as 'freaky' as seeing your brother kill his own father," I turned as Sam's eyes widened, surprised at what she had just heard. She stood there, watching as I walked out of the room, and then grunted in anger when I said over my shoulder, a smile on my face, "Maybe that'll stop you from wanting to have the last word."

Sam rushed after me as I hurried down the stairs and into the common room. Grabbing my arm, she roughly spun me around just as the portrait door swung open and our fellow first year friends stumbled in, all of them freezing at the scene before them.

I choked back a giggle and pulled my arm out of Sam's hand. I couldn't help the smile growing as Remus stepped out of the group and approached us.

"Hollie," he stared at Sam before turning to look at me, his eyebrows knitted in confusion, "why did you do that?"

I shrugged, "She asked for it," I turned to look into Sam's angry brown eyes, my smile growing even more, "Besides, I think she looks better that way."

* * *

_Remus POV_

I looked at Hollie with slight confusion. What did she mean Sam looked better that way? If that's what Hollie really thought, she was nuts. I thought Sam was quite pretty with her long dark blond hair, brown eyes and her beautiful smile. Yes, my best friend was definitely crazy. I looked back over at Sam and discovered that if looks could kill, Hollie would have been dead about 5 seconds ago. Separating the two of them would probably be a good idea right now and Sam did need to see Madam Pomfrey.

"Sam, why don't I take you down to the Hospital Wing?" I offered even though I had intended to ask Lily to take her. Why did words just come out of my mouth sometimes? Oh, well. Too late to worry about it now since Sam slightly nodded her head in agreement and followed me out of the common room.

No matter what I did, I always seemed to be near this girl, not that I minded that much…not at all actually. In fact part of it _was_ my fault for tending to sit near her at meals and in some classes. I wonder if she's ever noticed. I hope not. That would be embarrassing.

I turned my head to see Sam walking a step behind me on my right. What had happened to make Hollie do this? I opened my mouth to ask but quickly shut it. Asking someone a question who is incapable of responding is quite dumb especially if you're asking how their mouth disappeared in the first place. That would only lead to the person becoming angrier and Sam was angry enough for the time being. I would have to wait to find out what she did to make Hollie so mad because she normally wouldn't make someone's mouth disappear.

Although I should say something to fill in the silence…I just needed to find a safe subject. Classes. That would work. "So how are classes going for you?" Remus Lupin you are an idiot. You shouldn't be asking her a question. "I mean, you seem to be doing really well in Potions. Much better than the other Gryffindors and you seem to really enjoy it."

Sam just nodded her head, anger still evident in her eyes. Maybe talking wasn't such a great idea. "You're better at potions than Hollie. She's burnt through her past…3 cauldrons. If I was smart enough to pick a different partner, I would still have my first cauldron. Please don't tell her I said that." Why did I say that? She's not going to be talking to Hollie any time soon. Okay, Remus keep your mouth shut.

"You also seem to enjoy flying. It is a whole new thing for you growing up Muggle and all. Your not as good as Hollie.." that was stupid. Stop mentioning Hollie. It only makes her angrier. Besides I thought you decided to stop talking…so stop talking. "But she grew up flying. You're doing really well for someone who's never flown before. With more practice you could be as good as Hollie." Douh…why do I keep doing that? If you want to get on her good side, this is not how to do it. Now you have to say something to make up for it. "But no matter how much Hollie practices Potions, she'll never be as good as you." Glancing over my shoulder, it was obvious my last statement did have some sort of an affect since her eyes didn't seem so angry. Great, good job. Now shut up before you screw up again.

"Anyway, you seem to be better at accepting flying than others. Lily's scared to death of it but I guess you can't really blame her. Flying on broomsticks would seem odd and dangerous to Muggle-borns. I mean there's nothing really holding you on. If you're not used to it, you could just fall off." Smart Remus…make her scared of something she enjoys. "But you shouldn't worry about that too much." Looking into her face, I noticed she wasn't nervous at all about falling. In fact she seemed quite amused. I hope she wasn't laughing at me because I was talking too much. I really should shut up.

"I grew up flying with my parents and older brother, Alex. He loves flying and he's the Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. He wants to play professionally after he graduates this year. So does Hollie's brother…" I trailed off; daring a glance at Sam to see anger was back on her face at the mention of her name. What should I say now? I can't leave her angry.

"Umm…I'm sure you'll love Quidditch once you see a game. They're so much fun to watch as long as the Slytherin's don't win of course. According to Alex it's even better playing but I'm not much of a player. Who knows maybe you'll want to try out in a year or two." I sighed in relief as I opened the doors to the Hospital Wing. Maybe now I could stop talking.

"Hello, Madam Pomfrey." I greeted the Healer who was walking towards us. "Sam got in an argument and Hollie made her mouth disappear."

"Well, I can see that for myself, Mr. Lupin. Unfortunately I haven't seen this curse before. I'll have to find a counter curse for it but don't worry dear, just sit down on a bed and I'll have you better in no time." Madam Pomfrey quickly turned around and headed towards her office.

I sighed as Sam and I walked over to a bed. Go figure the curse which Dom constantly used on Hollie and I growing up was unknown or even more importantly the counter curse was unknown. If my suspicions were true, Madam Pomfrey would not find the counter curse and I would have to hunt down Dom. But what if he was in the Ravenclaw Dormitory? I'm not in Ravenclaw. Even if I knew where the Ravenclaw dormitory was, I would never be able to get in. Unless of course I was able to guess their password but that could take forever and I didn't have forever so let's forget about that idea. Okay, if I was Dom or Alex, who is very likely to be with him, where would I be? That's easy, the Quidditch Pitch. After all, they are on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. They could be having practice. Great…a place to start my search. Although there was a slight problem…I didn't know for sure how to get to the Quidditch Pitch from here. Sure, once outside I wouldn't have a problem…the pitch is kind of hard to miss, but I would probably get lost inside the castle with the moving staircases and everything. I hate being a first year.

"My best friend is an incompetent idiot!" My brother's voice interrupted my string of thoughts.

I smiled at my luck. It turned out that I didn't have to go find Dom. He was coming to me.

"I am not an incompetent idiot. I happen to be a very talented beater, thank you very much." Dom replied as he opened the doors and walked into the room.

"Ha! If you are such a great beater, why are we in the Hospital Wing?" Alex shot back and all the while holding his right arm which was obviously broken.

"Alex…you fell off your broom and broke your arm when you hit the ground." Dom answered him in a calm, straightforward voice.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Not likely." I supplied, knowing that my brother never just fell off of his broom. He was the most talented flyer I knew. If anything, he was forced off his broom.

Alex glanced over at me with a smile on his face. "Thank you, Remus. At least someone knows my flying ability." He turned his attention back to his fellow Ravenclaw. "I was knocked off by the bludger which you should have protected me from and not only did it knock me off my broom but it broke my arm. Although what really gets me is that you didn't block it 'cause you were checking out Evie. When you're playing Quidditch you're supposed to look out for you teammates, not eyeing some girl in the stands. Just ask her out already…dammit!"

"I've tried…but my sister keeps scaring her away!"

"Yeah…blame it on your sister," Alex sat on a chair, a grimace of pain on his face, "Even though your sister is bloody scary."

"No she's not," I felt the need to defend my best friend since she wasn't there to defend herself, "Hollie happens to be a really sweet, caring, cheery person who wouldn't hurt a-"

The sound of Sam's hand whacking me on the head echoed through the Hospital Wing, "Ouch!" I turned to look at her in surprise, "Well…most of the time, she is."

Dom and Alex turned to look at Sam, amused smiles on their faces. Sam's reddening face reminded me she didn't know who these two guys were.

"I'm sorry, Sam. This is my brother Alex and his friend Dom."

After both greeted her, Dom's smile widened with a hint of pride. "You sure pissed off my sister. She doesn't do that to just anybody."

Sam's demeanor changed instantly, going from embarrassed to pure anger.

Alex raised his eyebrows and turned his head to Dom. "Mate…I don't think mentioning your sister is a good idea right now...told you she was bloody scary."

"You're probably right...and yeah, she is…she takes after Dad," Dom quickly glanced around him. "Is that where Madam Pomfrey is? Trying to find the counter curse?"

I nodded my head. "Before you two walked in, I was thinking I would have to find you."

"You would have had to 'cause Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have found the counter curse. This happens to be a family jinx so only those in the Belledrex family know it."

Sam's facial expression changed once again which obviously stated 'if you know the counter curse, can you please fix this?'

"Oh. Sorry, Sam." Dom quickly waved his wand and mumbled a spell. Sam's mouth instantly returned onto her face.

"Thank you…and could someone please point me in the right direction to the library." A smile spread across her face as she spoke.

Dom chuckled in response, "Planning revenge are you? Let me give you some advice. Do something to her hair. She's absolutely vain about her hair…so whatever you do to it, she'll be horrified. She'll learn her lesson quick."

"What?!" I couldn't help but exclaim. "No, Sam. You do not want to mess with Hollie's hair."

However, a smile was already on her face, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "No…I think I do."

I shook my head at her while Dom told her the fastest way to get to the library. "Sam, you really don't want to be doing this."

Seeming to be oblivious to my protests, Sam turned towards the door and headed out to the library.

* * *

AN: Hey everybody! Sorry that it has been such a long time since our last update and hopefully we're able to post the next chapter sooner. Anywho, we hope you enjoyed reading this chapter especially since it also contained Remus' point of view. We thought it would be a great idea to start showing other perspectives and I have wanted to write something from Remus point of view for awhile now. And boy did I enjoy it. I've always liked his character but by writing this, I discovered just how much he cracks me up. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. 


	8. Sam's Revenge

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and a few others, are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are not receiving profit for our story.

* * *

**Sam's Revenge**

_Sam's PO_V

I walked into the library, pondering what I should do to Hollie's hair. The first idea which came into my mind was dying it but I quickly ruled it out. It was too obvious of an answer and it lacked creativity. Besides it was hardly equal to making my mouth disappear. If I was going to have revenge, I would have to do something which was equally horrifying. Furthermore, the procedure of the prank would have to be something I was good at which left one thing...potions. Right now, potions was where I felt the most confident. I was too new in this world to be able to find a charm or a jinx and perform it accurately and perfectly so I could have the desired affect. I was too busy trying to learn and understand everything in my classes. How was I supposed to cast a higher level and complex spell? But potions were different. Somehow potions made sense to me from day one. It just came natural to me.

With this being decided, I made my way to the potions section of the library. I would simply have to look through these until I found something that worked. After grabbing a stack of books, I walked over to a table and started my research.

* * *

_Remus' POV_

After watching Sam walk away, I turned back towards Dom and Alex determined to find out why Dom suggested messing with Hollie's hair. Frankly that was down right stupid because Hollie, with no doubt, would retaliate.

"Dom, why did you suggest that to Sam? You know it's just going to start a prank war."

"Of course it will! But on the plus side it will definitely be entertaining." Dom was sitting in a chair next to Alex with a big smile on his face. "I'm already looking forward to seeing what happens to Hollie's hair. I wonder what she'll do...die it multi-colored maybe. Oh! She could make it flash with neon colors. Now that would be great. "

Alex slightly shook his head, laughing which was quickly followed by a grimace of pain. "Note to self: do not laugh when you have a broken arm. But anyways, Remus, he does have a point. Watching this will be very entertaining."

I shook my head. Of course it would if my best friend wasn't involved. "But if this continues, I'm going to have a pissed off best friend."

"But she's not going to be mad at you." Dom reminded me. "She'll probably even ask you to help her."

I stood there for a second contemplating this. Dom was right but this could only lead to Sam being mad at me for helping Hollie and I didn't want that either. "But I don't want to get involved with this."

"Then don't. It's that simple." Alex supplied. "Just enjoy the pranks they pull on each other. They're bound to be amusing."

I nodded my head. "Thanks, maybe you're right. I'll talk to you later; I'm going to work on some schoolwork."

"Wait!" My brother exclaimed. "Before you go, I have to know how you did it."

I looked at him in confusion. "Did what?"

"Convince the hat to put you in Gryffindor because you definitely belong in Ravenclaw. You enjoy reading much more than I do."

Dom looked at his best friend. "Alex, you only read when you have to."

"Exactly my point! He reads for fun...just like Mum. He should have been born with a book in his hands."

I couldn't help but laugh at Alex's point. It was very ironic. In this aspect Alex did take after Dad, who hardly ever read and probably would have been in Gryffindor if he had attended Hogwarts. On the other hand, like my mother, sitting on the couch by a fire with a good book was one of my favorite spots. However, she had been in Ravenclaw. Apparently, Dad's Gryffindor personality skipped Alex and chose me instead.

"While you do have a point Alex, it does take more than a love of reading to be placed into Ravenclaw. You are proof of that." I had to remind my brother. I had no doubt how smart my brother was. I knew he loved learning; just not from text books. He thrived on the lectures and activities in the classroom.

"I know that Remus, and that goes along with my point. You do have other qualities which are known Ravenclaw traits. So how did you do it? I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Before I could respond, Dom supplied an answer for me. "Alex, maybe he's telling the truth."

Alex raised his eyebrows, not believing his best friend disagreed with him. "Are you saying that Remus doesn't have other qualities of a Ravenclaw and therefore doesn't belong there?"

"No, by all means he does and so does my sister for that matter. It is quite possible that Hollie is the one who tricked the hat into putting both of them into Gryffindor. I wouldn't put it past her." Dom turned his attention to me and I knew what he was going to ask. "So how did she convince the old hat to move you two out of Ravenclaw? Hollie did tell you right?" A smile spread across his face in eager anticipation of hearing the brilliant story of how she managed to trick the Sorting Hat.

I shook my head; they just didn't seem to get it. "Hollie didn't do anything either. Both of us were surprised that we were placed into Gryffindor. Besides, if you think about it, we do, or at least I do, have traits which are very Gryffindor." I met my brother's gaze and I saw instant understanding. Even though we never talked about it, the two of us shared a memory where an eight-year-old boy's behavior was far from a Ravenclaw.

"He is right you know." Alex looked away from me and turned his head towards Dom. "We should just face it, Dom. As much as we wish they were in Ravenclaw, they did inherit that bravery streak from our fathers, probably too much of it. Sadly, the hat had no choice but to place them into Gryffindor."

A sigh escaped from Dom's mouth. "A sad day indeed. Ravenclaw was deprived of two find minds because of our fathers' Gryffindor tendencies."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. By the way they were acting you would think Hollie and I were placed into Slytherin. Now that really would have been a disappointment. "Okay you two. I'm really leaving to go work on an essay and Dom...you better get Madam Pomfrey from her office. If you don't, she'll continue to try and find the counter curse for Sam and Alex's arm won't get fixed."

As I left the Hospital Wing, I could hear Madam Pomfrey bustling out of her office and start fussing over my older brother.

* * *

_Sam's POV_

A smile spread over my face as I stared at the book in front of me. The potion wasn't extremely complicated so I deemed it the perfect prank to pull on Hollie. There was only the matter of figuring out on where and when. There was no possible way I could brew it in the potions classroom or in our dorm bathrooms. People would notice and I would surely be caught.

I glanced at my watch and realized it was time for dinner. No wonder I was hungry. After putting my stack of books away, I checked out the one I wanted and headed down to the Great Hall. A wave of relief hit me when I didn't see Hollie sitting at the Gryffindor table and I quickly decided not to dawdle through dinner so I could return to the library. Not only did I need to finalize my plans but I had homework which had to be worked on.

On the way back to the library, I started to pass one of the girl's bathrooms. I stopped and gazed at the door, a plan already formulating in my mind. This was the one all the girls avoided because of Moaning Myrtle. I could brew the potion there without anyone knowing. However, there was one problem. How was I supposed to get the cauldron there without anyone seeing? I would surely be caught if I was seen carrying my cauldron through the school. I resumed my path towards the library, determined my plan would work. This was only a small hitch in the plan and it would be solved.

* * *

A few days later, my plan was almost complete. I had brewed the potion and snuck it up to my room. It was now safely hidden in my trunk. I was lying in my bed, waiting for the other girls to fall asleep so I wouldn't be seen.

Once I was sure they were all asleep, I crept out of my bed and moved towards my trunk. I barely opened the lid in order to eliminate any noise. I reached my hand through the opening and felt the small bottle I had put the potion in. After pulling it out, I made my way to the bathroom slowly and quietly. Easily finding Hollie's shampoo, I removed the cap and poured the potion in. I replaced the lid and shook the bottle so the potion would mix in with the shampoo. The bottle was quickly put back and I returned to bed.

A smile broke out across my face as I settled underneath my covers. It was done. Now all I had to do was wait...unfortunately, the potion took about 24 hours to take effect but I guess that was part of its beauty. Hollie would shower tomorrow morning like she always did. So it would be the following morning when she woke up and discovered my revenge.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

Mmmm...I rolled over and reached under my pillow to turn off my alarm, which went off every morning at 5:30 AM sharp. I always did my best to be as quiet as I could every morning so I wouldn't wake up the other girls...especially Sam, since she was such a grouch in the morning...she always grumbled whenever I walked out of my after morning run shower singing. In my opinion, singing in the morning was the best time to do so...aside from choir practice, of course. I quietly pulled my bed curtains opened and turned on my side lamp, stretched as I stood up, quietly donned my running shorts, a tank top, then grabbed my running shoes from under the bed and quietly walked out of the room.

* * *

'You really should apologize to her,' I stared at the mirror as the steam of the hot shower began fogging it up, 'It really was a mean-spirited thing to do. I mean, she's new to this world and that must have scared her big time.'

"Good...maybe she'll leave me alone," I spoke to my foggy reflection, not liking the guilt in my eyes, "It's for her own good, anyway. Maybe she'll learn a lesson not to be so stubborn in getting her own way."

I sighed as I stripped my clothing off. The water was just the right temperature and I was ready to soak my slightly sore muscles.

* * *

"You really should apologize to her," I looked up to see Remus staring at me from the stairs. I was sitting in the common room, doing some last minute schoolwork before the guys came down for breakfast. They had wanted to meet early with me to plan a prank or something along those lines.

"Look, Remus, you don't know the whole story, okay?" I went back to my schoolwork, hoping he would leave me alone for a little while longer. I really didn't need him to add more to my already guilty conscience.

"Did she insult you? Say horrible things about your family? I mean, really. You don't even do that to Sirius when he crosses the line," Remus sat on the armchair next to me, stretching his legs out. The boy had really grown from the last time I saw him...three years. I looked into his light blue eyes, glad that he was back into my life. This was one boy I knew I could open up to whenever I needed to.

"Remus...trust me when I say I had my own reasons to do what I did...and they were strong ones too. Anyway, what do you care? You barely know the girl...besides, you're my best friend, right?" I cocked my head to the side, a pleading smile on my face. Remus sighed in defeat as he looked at me, shaking his head slightly before answering.

"Yes, Hollie. I'm your best friend...and you're right. I hardly know Sam...but seriously Hollie. You scared the girl shitless."

"Yeah, well...there's nothing I can do about her chicken liver..." I gnawed at my bottom lip, my eyebrows lowering in confusion, "What I'd like to know, though, is how Madam Pomfrey got her mouth back. It's a Belledrex jinx, so it doesn't make sense to me how she figured it out. I mean...if we were in Durmstrang, I would understand. Dad did it to Uncle Matt many times until the Medi-wizard there finally figured it out."

Remus laughed, turning to look at the fire. I wasn't sure, but he may have been avoiding my eyes, "Yeah, Dad's told me about that. Said it always happened when Uncle Chris was in a pissed off mood and Dad wouldn't shut up. Hey! Dad wrote to me...told me Uncle Chris and Aunt Jess came by to visit. Can you imagine the reunion between those four after three years?"

"Yeah, I can," I laughed as I closed my book. I was just going to have to do my schoolwork during breakfast, "Dad probably knocked Uncle Matt around for disappearing without a trace, then forgive and forget. Just like us," I smiled at him, glad that he was back in my life.

"Yeah...except, thank Merlin, you didn't knock me around. Are you still doing Martial Arts?" Remus leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees.

"Yeah...I'm a first degree black belt...it's been kind of hard keeping up with it now that I don't train under Master Yung...but I found an empty room in one of the seventh floor hallways that has everything I need so I can self-train myself."

"That's awesome," Remus looked up at the sound of voices coming down the stairs, "Looks like the guys are up. Are you sure you want to help them...I mean, helping them with this is like encouraging them to do it," Remus gnawed at his bottom lip, worried about what this prank planning spelled for the future.

I shrugged, shoving my books into my book bag, "We four haven't hung out together in years...it's going to be okay Remus. No matter what we do, you won't get in trouble. I'll make sure of that."

"You always have," Remus stood up and grabbed his book bag, slinging it over his shoulder at the same time as he wrapped his free arm around me, "No matter how much at fault I was, you always made sure I wouldn't get punished. Thanks for that."

I smiled and then began to chuckle, "All I expect in return is your undivided loyalty, trust, support and attention." We both laughed, knowing there was no need for either of us to ask that of the other...we already had it.

"What are you two laughing about," Sirius frowned at the sight of Remus' arm around my shoulders. I smiled at him as I placed my arm around Remus' waist...maybe if he thinks something is going on between Remus and myself, he'll leave me alone.

"Memories," Remus shrugged, feeling comfortable in helping Hollie get Sirius off her back, after all, Sirius was getting a little too pushy with her.

"Sounds great to stand around and reminisce," James headed towards the portrait with a purposeful step, "but we've got some planning to do. Let's go get breakfast."

* * *

Next Morning

Turning my alarm off, I stretched on the bed before sitting up, feeling suddenly lightheaded. Shaking my head to clear my brain, I opened the bed curtains and reached to turn my side lamp on, hoping my lightheadedness wasn't due to getting sick. I truly didn't have time to –my mind went blank as I stared at my pillow, my eyes glued to the dark brown braids. Slowly, with shaking hands, I reached up and touched my head...and felt nothing but smooth skin.

The scream shattered the sleeping silence of the room. The rustling of bed curtains being jerked aside and the explicit exclamation of one of the girls as she hit the floor added to the pandemonium that began to ensue as the scream kept going without stop.

"What the hell is going on?"

Robin untangled herself from her bed curtains before rising from the floor and staring at the blond, wondering who she –oh yeah. The other roommate...what's her face?

I looked up into Lily's green eyes, my scream continuing despite her shaking me. Robin's gasp of horror was audible over my screams, and I turned to look at her, and as I did so, I locked eyes with Sam. She had a small smile on her face that grew larger, but it didn't register in my mind what that meant until she started laughing. Robin and Lily both turned to look at her as my scream died in my lips.

"You –you –" I stood slowly, still in disbelief. By this time, Sam was doubled over, holding her stomach as tears ran down her face, her laughter bouncing off the stone walls, taunting me, "You sneaky little bitch!"

I lunged towards her but both Lily and Robin grabbed me, pulling me towards the door.

"Come on Hollie," Lily murmured soothingly, "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will know what to do."

I walked in a daze towards the door, letting Lily hold me up. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Sam leaning against her bed post, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Never mess with a Parker," she said brightly, her smile lighting up her whole face. Lily quickly pulled me out of the room, calling over her shoulder, "Robin, bring the, uh, you know –the hair –"

Robin carefully picked up the chestnut brown braids, her eyes welling with tears as she looked at Sam, "Oh Sam. How could you?" She walked out of the room without a backward glance.

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AN: Just to let you all know, we re-posted this chapter because we had to fix some typos. Remus, Hollie and their families haven't seen each other in three years. Not the six or eight years that was previously written in this chapter. 


	9. War Declared, First Date and Quidditch

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and a few others, are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are not receiving profit for our story.

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**War Declared, First Date, and Quidditch**

_3__rd__ Person_

Dominic Belledrex rushed down the hallway, heading towards the Great Hall. He had been looking for his sister all day and hadn't been able to find her. It wasn't so much that he was worried…he was just curious. He had run into one of the first-year Gryffindor girls, the redhead, and had asked her for his sister's whereabouts, and that is when he found out she was in the Infirmary. He made sure to ask the redhead if she was okay and then headed off to class. He knew she wasn't sick, she never got sick, and thanks to the redhead, he knew she wasn't hurt. This left one other possibility…Sam's revenge.

Opening the great oak doors, he quickly scanned the Gryffindor table and located the first years, thanks to the redhead. She stood out since she was the only redhead in Gryffindor, and the first years usually hung out with each other, which meant that the blonde, Sam, would be sitting with the rest of her first-years. Heading towards them, he caught Evie looking at him from the corner of his eye. Trying to concentrate, he pretended he didn't see her…he really wanted to know what Sam had done to his sister.

"Where're you going, Mate," Dominic turned and grinned at Alex, slapping him on the shoulder as he shared his mission with him.

"Rumor has it my sister's in the Infirmary. She's not sick and one of the first-year's told me she's not hurt, which leaves one thing…"

"Alright!" Alex rubbed his hands together in glee, then stopped to look at Dominic with an arched eyebrow, "You were going to find out on your own…without me?"

"No," Dominic shook his head vehemently, "I was going to look for you at our table and signal you over but…"

"But," Alex cocked his head, waiting patiently for his best friend to finish. Feeling rather embarrassed, Dominic looked down at the ground.

"Evie was looking at me and I knew I'd get side-tracked if I stopped by the table."

Alex threw back his head in laughter, causing the people around them to turn and stare. Dominic shook his head as he grabbed Alex's arm and pulled him towards the end of the Gryffindor table.

"What's so funny, Alex?"

Alex stopped laughing long enough to look at his little brother, a huge smile on his face as he quickly glanced at Dominic's red face, "Same thing as always, Remy…my mate Dom."

"Yeah," Remus looked up at his best friend's older brother, taking in the blonde hair and bright blue eyes, "I suppose Dom is funny looking."

"Hey," Dominic playfully cuffed Remus on the side of the head, "Not everyone can be as beautiful as my sister…"

"It's kind of confusing that she's that pretty," Alex shrugged nonchalantly, "I mean…she looks like Uncle Chris while you look like Aunt Jess…"

"And Uncle Chris ain't pretty," Remus joined in, laughing along with the older Ravenclaws. It was good to have the same rapport they had before his family had left England without any warning.

"What are you two doing over at our table, anyway," Sirius interrupted, feeling slightly angered at being ignored…he was used to being noticed. Dominic looked over at the rest of the first years, amusement growing as he thought of the cosmic coincidence of Hollie ending up in the same house with her childhood friends.

"Haven't seen you guys in a long time," he quipped, giving James and Sirius a side grin which they recognized very well…it was that "tolerate the little brats" smile he always gave them when they were younger. Sirius and James looked at each other, a glum look on both their faces.

"Hey," Alex nudged Dom, "We have a mission…don't get sidetracked by picking on Remy's friends."

"Alex," Remus frowned, avoiding Sam's laughing eyes, "I'd appreciate it if you called me Remus."

"Why," Alex frowned in genuine confusion. Dominic shook his head as he turned to his best friend, "More than likely, for the same reason Holls glares at me every time I call her Bug…they're too old for nicknames."

Alex laughed, taking in Remus' dull red face, "Whatever. You four will always be Holls, Remy, Jamie and Si. We used to baby-sit you four, remember? We have the right to keep using the nicknames."

"Enough of this reminiscing crap," James spoke up, a frown on his face. The last thing he wanted was Lily to hear stupid baby stories, "What do you two want?"

"Whoa," Dom and Alex took a step back simultaneously, holding their hands out, "Calm down there, Jamie. There's no need to get all crabby. We just came to ask Sam something."

"Me?" Sam looked at the Ravenclaws she had met earlier that week, surprise written all over her face.

"Yeah, you," Dom leaned over the table to get closer to Sam's face, "Don't be so surprised. Rumor has it that Holls is in the Infirmary. I want to know why."

"More specifically," Alex leaned in next to Dom, pushing Remus to the side, "What did you do to her?"

"Why…what," Dom turned to frown at his friend, "It's the same thing, Alex."

Alex opened his mouth but nothing came out as they both turned to look at the laughing Sam. Straightening up, they both stood there and stared, along with her first-year friends as she gasped for air.

"Oh," Dominic's face, which had looked shock at Sam's sudden laughter, began sporting the biggest grin, "This I want to hear."

"I don't think Hollie would appreciate you telling other people what you did, Sam," Robin spoke up, her face turning red as Alex and Dom turned to look at her for the first time. She was starting to get used to being friends with the first year Gryffindor boys, but having two older boys staring at her was unbearable. She ducked her head, keeping her eyes on her plate of food.

"Its okay, Robin," Sam looked into Robin's sapphire blue eyes, "The blonde one is her older brother, so technically, he has a right to know."

"That's right," Dominic crossed his arms, "I'm Hollie's older brother, so I have the right to know. By the way, my name's Dominic, not the blonde one."

"Whatever," Sam gave Dominic an exasperated glance. He reminded her too much of his little sister, "The other one is Remus' older brother and this one's other half. Whatever I tell him, he'll share with that one, so I might as well tell both of them at the same time."

"I am not his other half," Alex snapped, stepping away from Dominic, "We may be best friends and hang out all the time, but that doesn't make me his other half."

"Alright," Sam shook her head, surprised at how side-tracked these two guys could get, "Whatever you say. Do you want me to tell you what happened to Hollie or do you want to keep arguing?"

Dominic and Alex looked at each other, both torn in trying to straighten things out about their friendship and curiosity concerning Hollie.

"Alright," Dominic turned to look at Sam, "What did you do to her to send her to the Infirmary?"

"Well…" Sam leaned over the table, smiling at the anticipation evident in several faces, "I made all her hair fall out of her head. She woke up bald this morning."

Dominic's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open in shock. Alex winced as he thought about Hollie's reaction then began to smile as he turned to look at Dominic.

"You never did that, did you mate?"

Dominic shook his head as he continued to stare at Sam, "No…never occurred to me…you're a bloody genius Sam!"

"Thank you," Sam bowed her head proudly, a smile on her face that had been there since early this morning.

"How'd you do it," James asked, trying to picture Hollie without any hair.

"A potion I found in one of the books at the library." Sam grinned at James before she caught Sirius' angry face, "What's wrong with you?"

"You made her hair fall out? All of it? I like her hair!"

"Madam Pomfrey gave her a potion to drink and she said it would all grow back…it's taking most of the day, but it'll all grow back," Lily reassured Sirius with a smile on her face. He stared at her before he turned to Dominic, who had groaned.

"I have a question for you…" Dominic frowned as he thought of something, "When did all this happen?"

"This morning," Sam looked confused, wondering why that would matter.

"Before or after her morning run?"

"Why would that matter –" Everyone looked up as the oak doors swung open and Hollie marched down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, a scowl on her usually cheery face. Dominic and Alex quickly scooted to the side as she planted herself in front of Sam, her hands on her hips.

"You're a damn bloody bitch," Hollie growled, glaring at the smiling Sam, "Think you're so smart, don't you?"

"Well," Sam's smile spread into a full out grin, a chuckle escaping her, "Yeah, actually, I do. You gotta admit you didn't see that coming…"

"Hollie…" Dominic took another step back as his sister turned her angry gaze at him, "Now, I'm not mocking you or anything, but…where's the glare?"

"You bastard," Hollie growled at him, everything making sense to her, "You're the one that made her mouth come back…you told her about my hair too, didn't you?"

"But you have your hair back," Alex said over Dominic's shoulder, a happy smile on his face.

"Shove it," Hollie snapped before she turned to Sam, "Be thankful my hair grew back…but I'm telling you this…never ever mess with my hair again."

Turning, she walked out of the Great Hall, refusing to look at anyone. She wasn't in the mood to deal with people, and most importantly, she needed time to think.

Dominic shook his head as he watched his sister stomp out of the Great Hall. Turning to look at Sam, he smiled fondly at her…he really liked her.

"Sam…next time, please wait until after she's had her morning run. That way she's only mad at you and not at everybody else."

"This is going to be bloody awesome," Alex tousled Remus' light brown hair, "A prank war between Sam and Hollie…I think they are evenly matched."

"What are you talking about," Sam looked from Dominic to Alex and back again, "There will be no next time. No prank war. She made my mouth disappear; I made her hair fall out. I have my mouth back and she has her hair back. We're even. It's done."

Her statement was met with brief silence then raucous laughter not only from Dominic and Alex, but from James, Sirius and Remus.

"What's so funny," Sam frowned, not liking their reaction.

"Sam," Dominic gasped for air, leaning on Alex for support, "There's no such thing as even for Hollie. I mean, I agree that you and Hollie are even…but I'm not Hollie. I know my sister…and if I were you, I would watch my back…'cause she's going to one-up you."

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

Stomping into the Gryffindor commons room, I threw myself onto the couch, glaring into space. I had missed the majority of my classes and I was not looking forward to having to catch up on my studies. I punched the seat cushion as Sam's smiling face floated into my mind. I couldn't believe my plan to scare her had backfired on me…what is her problem, anyway? Thanks to my meddling brother, she had her mouth back, and even if he hadn't budged in where he wasn't welcomed, I had planned to go down to the Infirmary and make her mouth reappear. Why did she have to go and get revenge? It was all wrong, not at all the way I was hoping it would turn out. She was supposed to be scared or mad enough to just simply avoid me. Instead, she went and got even.

"Dammit," I kicked the coffee table in front of me, and then cursed again at the pain shooting up my leg. She screwed the whole thing up…now I was going to have to teach her a lesson. I reached up and touched my hair, realizing that it was longer, shinier and curlier than before…not that it mattered…that stupid blonde dared to mess with my hair…and my idiot brother helped…

"Bloody traitor…family means nothing to him…" I muttered darkly, crossing my arms before me, "Now I have to put my mind to work to get back at Sam and Dom…I should do something to Alex too…"

I felt exhausted and shaky, and I knew it had to do with the fact that I had missed my morning run. My body was suffering immensely from missing its daily runner's high…and my mood was no better.

I looked up quickly as the portrait swung open, my eyes narrowing in utter dislike as Sam walked in, her book bag slung over her shoulder. I glared at her as she walked around the couch and sat on one of the armchairs, dropping her book bag by her feet.

"Hollie," Sam stopped as she stared at me, an apprehensive look appearing on her face. I knew she was a little taken back by the look on my face…most people were since I was rarely ever mad. It was during those rare moments of anger when I not only looked like my father, but actually reacted and sounded like him, "I need to get something straightened out with you…" she looked down at her hands, starting to feel slightly nervous…I hadn't blinked from the moment she had walked into the commons room, "I'm not going to apologize for what I did…mostly because you got your hair back. In all reality, I knew you would get your hair back because I used a potion that had an antidote. Unlike you, who used a charm that only your family knew…if your brother hadn't come along, I might still be without a mouth."

I snorted as I looked away from her big brown eyes, "I would of eventually made your mouth reappear."

"Yah, sure," Sam shrugged, not believing me. I raised an eyebrow as I turned to look at her, wondering where she got off thinking she knew me.

"Look," Sam held her hand out, stopping me from going off in a tirade, which I was about to do, "The point is that we both did something to the other and we're both fine. I have my mouth and you got your hair back. I just want to make sure that you understand that we're even. I really don't want to get into some childish prank war with you, so please, let's just leave it at that, okay?"

My mouth slowly opened in shock as I realized that she was pretty much telling me not to retaliate…who the bloody hell did she think she was?

"Sam," I leaned forward, tucking my hands under my knees to keep myself from hitting her, "I really don't know how you come off thinking you know me…first of all, yes, I would have made your mouth reappear…I'm not that much of a bitch. Second, you may have used a potion with an antidote, which tasted disgusting by the way…which you probably knew…but you obviously thought nothing about me missing a whole day's worth of class notes. And third of all, I can't believe you have the audacity to tell me to "leave it at that" when you had the brainless idea to listen to my git of a brother and mess with my hair. But you know what…you're right. A childish prank is not something you want…unfortunately…you really should have thought of that before you made that potion. Now…you must deal with the consequences."

I stood up and walked away, quickly heading up to our dorm room, wishing I had some idea of what to do to her. Even though I knew it was childish of me to react the way I had…wait a minute…no it wasn't! She didn't apologize for what she did…I mean, I didn't apologize for what I did to her, but at least I felt a bit of remorse. As for Sam…no remorse! I pushed the door open and quickly headed towards my closet, needing to grab some work out clothes and let off some steam…my destination, seventh floor hallway. After that, library…I had some thinking and planning to do.

* * *

_3__rd__ Person_

The days went by swiftly as classes got harder and school work piled up. The first year Gryffindors became good friends as they helped each other through struggles, whether academic or personal. The hostility between Sam and Hollie increased with everyday, causing a barrage of pranks between them. It got to where Robin and Lily gave up taking sides, simply sympathizing with the current victim. The Gryffindor boys became known as the pranksters of Hogwarts, especially James and Sirius, with the occasional help from Remus, Hollie and Peter. The winter holidays were quickly approaching, but before that, the excitement over the first Quidditch game began to run rampant among all the students.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

I stooped down to pick up my wand, for it had dropped out of the pocket of my robes. I really must be more careful…I had already lost my wand twice the past week.

"Hollie, wait up!"

I looked over my shoulder to watch James running down the hall towards me as I continued walking towards the Great Hall for dinner.

"Watch out!"

Just as I turned to look where I was going, I felt myself walk into something solid and unstable. The loud clanking and the knight's cursing made me want to cry for I had just knocked over a knight's suit of armor –for the second time in the past month.  
"Really, Miss Belledrex," I looked up and into Professor McPatterson's unusual grey-brown eyes, feeling like I was going to be sick to my stomach, "You must look where you are going."

"I'm so-sorry, Professor McPatterson," I swallowed hard, for the Dark Arts Professor scared the living daylights out of me.

"It was my fault," James was standing next to me, "I was talking to her."

"It is still advisable for her to learn she is not much of a multitasker. I advise you, Miss Belledrex, to do one thing at a time…before you end up hurting yourself." With a simple wave of his wand, the suit of armor was back in its place and the knight placated. Professor McPatterson returned to his chambers, black robes billowing behind him.

"Bloody hell, Hollie," James grabbed my arm, steering me away from the knight and towards the Great Hall, "You keep that up, and the knights' gonna think you have it against him. Next thing you know, he'll be chasing you with his axe."

I shivered as I imagined an angry, clunky suit of armor running behind me, brandishing his axe over his head as he gets closer…I shook myself, realizing that I had been at Hogwarts for two months and I was already, just like at my old school, known as being a hopeless klutz.

"I'm the biggest klutz in the world," I muttered, not realizing that James was holding my hand.

"Well, not the world," James smiled, "But definitely Hogwarts!"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. Besides, it was your fault. You called out my name!"

"Hollie –most people stop when someone calls out their name. Why don't you?"

"I don't know –what do you want with me, anyway?" I tried not to blush, for just at that moment, I became consciously aware that James and I were walking towards the Great Hall –holding hands.

"I was wondering if…well –" James ruffled his hair with his free hand, "You'd go to the Quidditch game with me. And maybe, afterwards, we can have lunch together."

"Are you asking me out on a date," I looked at him, my mouth slightly opened in surprise.

"Kinda…sorta…in a way…yeah, I am."

"Well, then, I guess…yeah, sure." I stood in front of the great big oak doors, wondering if he was planning on walking in there, his hand in mine. He smiled sheepishly, slowly dropping my hand as he opened the door. I sighed, relieved that I wasn't going to be stared at, something I should've been used to by now, what with all my accidents and the ongoing prank war between Sam and myself.

"So –what are you going to do, Holls," James sat beside me as I joined the rest of our crew at the Gryffindor table.

"What about?" I ignored Sirius, sitting across from me, as he kept trying to catch my eye.

"Tomorrow's game. It's Gryffindor against Ravenclaw. You're in Gryffindor and, well," James turned to look towards the Ravenclaw table, watching Dominic animatedly carry on a conversation with the pretty brunette named Evie, "Your brother is the Ravenclaw Captain."

"I don't know –" I reached over for the peas, knocking over a salt shaker, "I'll cheer for whatever my brother does, and I'll cheer extra loud for everything Gryffindor does."

"I'm sorry," Sam interrupted, the pitcher of pumpkin juice in her hand, "But what the hell is Quidditch?"

We all turned to stare at her, shocked into silence.

"You're kidding me, right?" I was looking extra hard at her.

"Well –I thought it was like football."

"I don't know what in bloody hell football is, but Quidditch is nothing like football."

Sam turned to look at me, annoyed at my comment…I believe she was annoyed with me over all, "How would you know when you don't know what football is?"

"Well," I took a bite of my roll, "I take it you don't play football while flying a broom."

"No…"

"Oh, come on, Sam," Sirius butted into the conversation, "A bookworm like you should've read Quidditch Through the Ages."

"No, I haven't."

"And why not," Robin asked, digging into her second jacket potatoe.

"I didn't see any interest in it."

"Well, Quidditch has seven players," Remus spoke up, placing his book besides his plate.

"Three Chasers," I took a swig of pumpkin juice.

"Two Beaters," Robin contributed to the conversation.

"One Keeper," Sirius enthusiastically continued.

"And a Seeker," James leaned forward to look at Sam. She looked a bit dizzy at all the back and forth information.

"There are four balls," I held up four fingers, just incase she hadn't understood me since my mouth was full of chicken.

"A Quaffle," Sirius pushed his plate aside, having already stuffed his face as much as possible.

"Two Bludgers," Remus leaned forward, smiling at Sam.

"And the Golden Snitch," Robin covered her mouth in embarrassment, for her statement had been followed by a loud burp.

"Alright –enough," Sam placed her hand on her head, "I'm sure the stupid game will make some sense when I watch it."

* * *

_3__rd__ Person_

"That was bloody awesome!" Sam's face was alight with excitement, "Quidditch is so much fun!"  
Everybody laughed, walking back towards the castle. Gryffindor had won the game against Ravenclaw by fifty points.

"I want to be the one with the club," Sam skipped ahead a few steps, turning around to look at everyone.

"You want to be a Beater," Sirius looked up and down at Sam's small 4'8" frame, trying his hardest to ignore James and Hollie…it really irked him that James was going out with the girl that kept saying no to him.

"Yeah –I want to be a Beater."

"Well," Hollie smiled at her. She was in a good mood, and besides, there wouldn't be any harm to be nice to her every once in a while, "They'll be several positions open for tryouts next year. Some of the Gryffindor players are graduating."

"I'm trying out to be a Seeker," James pulled at Hollie's hand, unbalancing her. As Hollie stumbled towards him, he caught her just before she hit the ground, "And Holls' is trying out to be a Chaser. I've seen this girl fly…she's going to be a damned good one."

"I can't wait until tryouts," Sam gave a jump out of glee.

"Then you must begin to prepare yourself by reading Quidditch Through the Ages," Remus handed her his copy, which was tattered from having been read so many times.

"Uh, thank you," Sam took the book, looking into his light blue eyes, trying hard to keep her heartbeat from speeding up.

"Welcome," the smile he gave her caused the corner of his eyes to crinkle, which caused Sam's heart to miss a beat or two.

"Alright' then. Enough about whose trying out and whose not," Robin turned around, walking backwards as she looked at everyone, "Anyone know who flooded the girl's bathroom on the first floor?"

There was no need to look at the boys grinning faces for the others to venture a guess.

"Was that prank number twenty-seven," Lily asked, annoyance coating every word.

"You're keeping count," James smiled with pride and Hollie was sure his ego had inflated an ounce or so.

"When are you guys going to graduate from elementary pranks and start using your imaginations?" James dropped Hollie's hand and threw his arm around her shoulders, which made her smile as she snuggled closer to him. He was a fun guy to cuddle up to.

"Elementary pranks," James tried to look offended, failing miserably as his face muscles contorted with sustained laughter. Most of the pranks he proposed to the guys had been Hollie's ideas.

"Yeah," Sam spoke up. She enjoyed poking fun at the guys. They took it so well, which reminded her of her three older brothers, "Elementary pranks. Even my little sister Dani could have thought of flooding the bathrooms, toilet papering the hallways, vandalizing the statues –"

"Your point?" Sirius' mood was getting sourer by the minute. He really hated seeing James with Hollie, even though he knew it wouldn't last long.

"You're wizards –think of something," Hollie snapped, irritated at Sirius, for she knew why he had been acting like such a git ever since the Quidditch game began. He really thought she belonged to him. That was extremely irritating.

"Why are you two encouraging them," Lily's voice was bordering hysteria, "They need to start learning to act their age."

"I thought they were acting their age," Hollie exclaimed, a big smile on her face. Lily could sometimes be a little too straight-laced, but with enough coaxing, she gives up the fight and joins in on the fun. Everyone laughed as Lily threw her hands up in defeat.

"Why am I even talking to you two about them? You and Sam are just as bad as they are!"

* * *

AN: Hey everyone! We hope you enjoyed the chapter and we're looking forward to working on the next one. 


	10. Christmas Plans and the Blues

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and a few others, are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are not receiving profit for our story.

* * *

**Christmas Plans and the Blues**

_3__rd__ person_

"Is it just me or does Sam seem somewhat distant at times?" Lily asked Robin as they went up a staircase on their way to the Gryffindor common room. After working in the library for a few hours, the two girls had decided to take a break and head back to their dorm room. They had invited Sam but she had refused, stating that she wanted to finish her essay.

Robin was quiet for a few seconds before slowly replying, pondering her answer. "Yah, she does. There seems to be something she's not telling us."

Lily nodded her head, relieved that she wasn't the only one aware of that. She now knew that she wasn't imagining Sam's behavior. They studied together most days and spent their free time playing games and getting to know each other. Sam called them her friends but at times, like today, she seemed to hold them at arms' length. "Definitely. Have you ever seen her get a letter from her brothers or her parents?" Lily stopped climbing the stairs as a new piece of information about Sam struck her. "Actually, have you even heard Sam talk about her parents?"

"No," Robin answered quietly. She had stopped right next to Lily, a similar expression on her face. "I always found that a little odd but there's nothing we can do about it."

"Except confronting her about it." Lily voiced.

Robin looked a little troubled at the thought of confronting their friend on a matter she obviously was not ready to share. "You don't really want to do that, do you; risk our friendship with Sam? I mean, if we confront her about it, she'll probably get angry with us…" Robin trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought of breaking a new friendship.

"No, of course I don't want that to happen. It was just an idea. I guess she'll tell us when she's ready."

* * *

_Sam's POV_

After Lily and Robin left the library, I tried to study and write my essay instead of thinking about the letters I had sent to my brothers. I had written them during the semester, telling them all about Hogwarts, things I was sure Billy would find fascinating but I hadn't received one response. I just didn't get it. We agreed to write each other so we wouldn't lose contact and grow apart while I was away. Maybe Mum had finally gotten to them; convinced them I was some weirdo freak. Oh, who am I kidding? Not me. Maybe Mum found our list and discovered everything we hadn't told her and then…she killed them out of anger. Well…it would be more likely than the first except we practically kept that list locked up and we had always been extremely careful when we actually pulled it out.

I sighed, part of me knowing my scenarios were far fetched but not wanting to believe it. I hadn't told any of my friends about what happened-what my mother had done. I didn't want to talk about it; I didn't even want to think about it. So I tried to pretend that it never happened. If I never thought about it, I could go from day to day without feeling any pain. However, my brothers' not writing to me was a constant reminder of what she had done to me. She was probably controlling my brothers somehow, keeping them from staying in contact with me. Although she was thousands of miles away, she still managed to control an aspect of my life. Even though she kicked me out of the house, telling me never to return, she still managed to cause me more pain, keeping me from moving on. I wiped away the few tears that had started falling down my face, wondering how the heck I was going to finish my homework.

* * *

_Remus' POV_

I sighed and slammed my book close in frustration. James, Sirius and Hollie were making too much of a ruckus planning the next prank for me to get any work done. I had tried to get them to work on their homework now so they could get it over with sooner. Instead of agreeing, they assured me that they would have no problems with writing it tomorrow. After all, it was Sunday so they had the whole day. Their theory was to enjoy Saturday, do homework on Sunday. Although what they usually ended up doing was trying to do all of their homework Sunday night. How they finished it all and managed to get decent grades was beyond me. Their parents or godparents must have given them the gift of procrastination and doing well under pressure.

I put my books and supplies into my book bag and headed downstairs in order to find a quiet place to finish my Charm's essay. Before I reached the common room, I could hear the noise of students talking, laughing and playing all sorts of games. I stepped into the room and commotion surrounded me. No, the common room would most definitely not work. It was worse than my dorm room. The library. It would be the only quiet place in the school. If anyone got too loud, Madam Pince would throw them out. My destination set, I headed towards the portrait and when I passed Lily and Robin, I heard them complaining about the level of noise in the common room. A smile spread across my face, glad to know I wasn't the only Gryffindor student trying to do homework on Saturday.

Once I walked into the library, my feet lead me to my favorite table. It was in a corner, giving me a sense of seclusion from the other students. I stopped short when I spotted Sam sitting at my table, books and paper in front of her, apparently working on her essay. Maybe she wouldn't mind sharing the table with me. After all, we were working on the same essay. I started to take a step towards her when Sam suddenly wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper. She was crying. Why would she be crying? I don't know much about girls, except for Hollie of course, but it didn't take a genius to figure out she wasn't crying about Charms. My brain screamed for me to leave, find another place to study but my feet stayed rooted to their spot, my eyes not able to move away from the sight of Sam looking down at the table, silent tears running down her face. Trying to figure out if I should do anything, and if I should, what exactly, I just stood there, staring at her, unaware of my surroundings.

"What are you doing, Remus?" I looked over my shoulder to see Hollie approaching me, her book bag slung over her shoulder. I quickly turned to block her view from Sam, not understanding why I didn't want Hollie seeing Sam crying.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? You're standing right here blocking traffic. I wouldn't call that nothing." Hollie cocked her head to the side, her left eyebrow lifting in that questioning way that always made me smile.

"I, uh…what are _you_ doing here? I thought you were too busy planning prank number whatever to do any homework." I crossed my arms, giving her that side smile that told her I was teasing her. Maybe if I distracted her, we could leave the library before Hollie could see Sam.

"Prank number 37. And we already finished planning it…you'll be helping Peter with the owls. Sirius and James wanted to keep joking around so I decided to come join you at your table in the library and get started on my Charm's essay."

"Get started? You haven't even started it yet? How do you get high marks when you do everything at the last minute?" I shook my head as something she had said sunk in, "Helping Peter with the owls? What?"

Hollie grinned up at me, "We're crashing the Christmas party the upper students get to have a week before break. You and Peter won't get caught because you'll be nowhere near the Great Hall. James, Sirius and I shouldn't get caught either, but since we'll be in the Great Hall, there's no guarantee."

"What are we doing?" I stared down at her, feeling, and more than likely, looking a bit uncomfortable about this plan.

"Why don't we go sit at your table and I'll tell you," Hollie moved to go around me, but I quickly stepped in front of her…so much for distracting her.

"Um…how about we go outside instead? I sure could use the fresh air," I smiled at her, placing my hands on her shoulders to keep her from moving around me.

"There's snow on the ground, Remus. It's cold out there and I need to get started on my Charm's essay, which will be easier to write if I have a table."

"You can write your Charm's essay later. We're both wearing thick enough jumpers and we can build a snowman." I gave her a big grin, trying to charm her into agreeing without asking questions. I failed.

"What's going on, Remus," Hollie looked at me, a hint of suspicion in her black eyes as she tried to look around me. I leaned with her, blocking her view.

"Nothing…it's just that, well…Sam's sitting at my table. And I know you don't like her, so…" I shrugged, dropping my hands from her shoulders, giving up any hope of hiding Sam.

"Well, that's very considerate of you. I guess we could go outside…I really don't want to be around her right now…not after what she did to me last week. That was really embarrassing." Hollie turned and walked away, looking over her shoulder at me as I hesitated. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, yeah," I took two long steps to catch up with her then shortened my stride to be able to keep pace with her, "So tell me, what exactly are we doing for this prank?"

"Alright…Sirius, James and I are each going to hide underneath tables in the Great Hall before the whole thing starts with a box of invisible mice…each. About an hour into the party, you and Peter will release the owls. And since owls are able to see invisible mice…" She grinned at me, her eyes twinkling at the idea.

"All hell is going to break loose! Ingenious! I take it you thought of this one?" I slung my arm around her shoulders as we walked down the empty hallway.

"Of course…I'm the one that always comes up with the best ones," her arm settled comfortably around my waist.

"Wait," I looked down at her, frowning, "Owls hunt at night…the owlery is going to be empty by the time the party gets into full gear."

"Ha, no worries, my friend. After Hagrid checks on the owls, which is usually an hour or so before sunset, you and Peter are going to tie several of them to their perches. That way they won't fly away," she looked up, her grin still in place. She was definitely pleased with herself but I could still see some problems.

"Well, that's a sure way to get pecked to death," we turned the corner that would lead us to the open courtyard by the clock tower.

"You're a wizard, Remus. Use your wand," she pulled away from me, rolling her eyes at my obvious display of stupidity.

"My wand…right…I knew that," I gave her sheepish look that made her laugh as she walked out into the open courtyard, new fallen snow crunching under her feet.

"Remus," Hollie turned, standing a couple of feet away from me and looked deep into my eyes, her black eyes filled with sincere concern, "Stay away from Sam. She's not good for you."

"Where is this coming from?" I laughed nervously, kicking snow with my foot as I looked away from Hollie's caring face. She's always been able to read me so I avoided her eyes, not wanting her to see what even I couldn't quite understand.

"I've watched you watch her. You always sit wherever you can see her best. Do you have a crush on her or something?" Hollie crossed her arms, a frown marring her cheerful face as she kept her steady gaze on me.

"Of course not. I don't know her well…why should I have a crush on her?" I looked out into the courtyard, watching the snow fall to the ground. This conversation was making me uncomfortable.

"You're interested in getting to know her, aren't you?" Hollie looked away from me, not wanting me to see how she felt about that possibility.

"_No_…you don't like her and you're my best friend, so there's no way I'm going to make an effort to get to know her." I looked into her eyes, seeing the doubt and hurt lingering there, "Hollie, I know where my loyalties lie. With you. Always with you." As long as Hollie didn't like Sam, I would have to deal with the fact that Sam was out of bounds for me.

Hollie's slightly slanted black eyes twinkled as her mouth broadened into that smile that let me know all was right with the world because all was right with Hollie.

"I do have one question, though," I reached out and tugged at one of her curls, just the way I used to when we were little, "Why do you dislike her so much? You usually get along with everyone 'cause you're so darn likeable."

"Only to you Remus." Hollie gnawed at her bottom lip, "I can't really give you the details but I can tell you that it's better this way. I…I wasn't expecting her reaction to her mouth disappearing but I did it to try to keep her away from me. I succeeded…at a heavy price but it's a price worth paying."

"This has something to do with being called to Dumbledore's office at the beginning of the term, doesn't it?" I continued playing with her hair, knowing from experience it would relax her and get her talking.

"Yeah…" Hollie looked out into the courtyard, her pretty face clouding with anger…and a tinge of sadness as she pulled her hair out of my hand.

"What did Dumbledore want with you two," I reached out and gently took her chin, forcing her to look at me.

"I…I can't tell you," her black eyes widened as she realized how unusual this moment between us was.

"You're keeping a secret from me," I looked at her, shock registering on my face. As children, we had told each other everything and even after being separated for three years, it was still the same…except, of course, for my own secret, which I kept because I didn't want to lose Hollie again…which I knew would happen if she ever found out. This was definitely unusual for us both.

She smiled up at me as she took my hand from her face and held it, "Remus, I know you're keeping a secret from me. I also know that if you could, you would tell me. Also know that if I could, I'd tell you my secret. I've wanted to tell you…so bad…but I can't. Please don't make me feel guilty about it. I won't make you feel guilty about not telling me yours." Her black eyes shined with unshed tears as she smiled sweetly up at me. I felt an overwhelming sense of love for this girl. She was my best friend, my little sister, my confidant, my…my Hollie. I leaned down and kissed her forehead, wrapping my arms around her for a much needed hug.

"I just wish…I just wish it didn't hurt so badly," her voice was muffled by my woolen jumper as she buried her face into my chest.

"I know…I know Holls," I leaned back and wiped the tears that had spilled over with my thumbs, "Even though I don't know what is going on, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

"Yes," her smile was shaky at best as she tried to regain her composer, "Can we change the subject to something less…intense?"

"Alright," I stepped back, giving her a full-fledged grin, "How's it going?"

"How's it going…with what?" Her confused face made me laugh.

"James…are you still dating that git? I thought he annoyed you…that's what you told me three months ago." My grin grew as I saw her face redden in consternation.

"Well…yeah. He still annoys me but…well; I just thought it would be good to see if there could be anything between us." She shrugged, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her designer jeans.

"What are you talking about? Why should there be anything between you two?" I frowned, not sure I even liked the idea of there being anything between Hollie and James.

"Oh, you don't know!" Hollie laughed at the look on my face…she knew it bothered me to be in the dark about important things and, obviously, her dating James was one of those important things, "James and I are arranged to be married when we both turn twenty."

"What?" I exclaimed, taking a step back as I gave her an incredulous look. "I thought Uncle Chris wanted you to marry me when we turned twenty."

Hollie laughed, "He still does, but you know about that stupid curse on his side of the family. If any Belledrex marries someone that is not Pureblood, we lose our magic. When we were kids, Dad thought it was just a family myth but it turns out its true. Now he's trying to find a way to break the curse so you and I can get married when we're twenty…which could be weird."

"So how did you end up arranged to marry James?" I couldn't help but feel slightly jealous…I didn't really want to marry Hollie, at eleven I didn't really want to marry anyone, but family was family. Besides, I would be marrying my best friend…spending the rest of my life with Hollie didn't seem so bad in that aspect. And now, here she was, arranged to marry James Potter. Oh dear Merlin, it couldn't get worse than that.

"Mum," Hollie tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, staring down at her neon green converse sneakers, pushing snow into a pile.

"Ah…Aunt Jess. I suppose she convinced Uncle Chris to go along with it just in case he doesn't find a way to break that curse. I know she's not all stuck on the whole Pureblood thing but she still thinks it would be good for you to marry a Pureblood…just like everyone in her family line," I shrugged, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jeans. I was starting to get really cold.

"Yeah…and since she and James' mum are close friends that was the natural next best choice," she shivered, both in reaction to the idea and to the cold.

"Just as long as you and I know that I was the first choice." I winked at her, making her laugh.

"Yeah…between you and me, I'd rather marry you than James. He really is an annoying git…but I'm thinking if we start "going out" now, then maybe by the time the wedding comes around, we'll be in love or whatever." Hollie looked up at me, pursing her lips in disbelief.

"James will grow up, Hollie," I chuckled at the look of doubt on her face, "And who knows? You two may fall in love. At least you'll have it better than Uncle Chris and Aunt Jess…they didn't meet until, what, a couple weeks before they got married?"

"Something like that," Hollie wrapped her arms around herself. The cold air was starting to sink through her thick woolen jumper, "Can we go inside? I'm getting cold."

"But we haven't built our snowman yet!" I jumped up and down, trying to warm up. I hadn't wanted to build a snowman but the idea sounded good.

"We'll build one later. It's not like the snow's going anywhere. Let's go up to the common room and work on that Charms' essay…oh! We can play Wizard's Chess!" Hollie hurried into the castle, rubbing her hands together.

"Oh Hollie," I slung my arm over her shoulder as we walked to the Gryffindor tower, "don't you get tired of me kicking your arse all over the chessboard?"

"Cute Remus," she wrapped her arm around my waist, knowing without doubt that I was merely teasing her, "One of these days…I will pulverize you."

"I hope that day comes before I die of old age."

Hollie's laughter echoed throughout the hallway as we continued bantering back and forth. Being friends with Hollie was as natural as breathing. I just hoped she would never find out about that secret she knew I had because it would tear me to pieces to have to see her look at me with anything less than the love that was always there in her eyes.

* * *

_Sam's POV_

I walked into the Great Hall for dinner, grateful that I had been able to work on my Charm's essay. After crying for a little while, I was able to concentrate enough to write, although I didn't finish my homework. I just hoped it wasn't obvious that I had been crying. The last thing I wanted to do was come up with a reason as to why my eyes were red and my face splotchy.

When I sat down next to Lily, I noticed that Hollie was reading a letter. The mail had come but, once again, I hadn't received anything. Immediately I blinked back the tears, which were trying to resurface. Lily turned her head to say something but was interrupted by a squealing Hollie.

"What is it Hollie?" Remus leaned towards her, interested in what the letter said, which evidently got Hollie all excited.

"A letter from Mum. Her cousin Cheyenne had another baby so we're going to Texas over the Holidays to meet her. Of course that also means I get to see my cousins Cade and Reba." Her smile grew even wider at the thought of seeing her extended family once again.

Remus looked at Hollie slightly confused and disappointed. "I thought you were spending Christmas with my family."

Hollie nodded her head in agreement. "We're popping over to your house on Christmas Eve. Then we're popping to Hawaii. At New Year's we're coming back to England for the New Year's Eve Party at our house."

"Why Hawaii?" Remus wondered. They might as well stay in England. Apparating wasn't time consuming but Christmas break wasn't that long and that was a lot of traveling.

"Mum wanted a warmer Christmas this year." Hollie stated as if that would explain everything. She folded up the letter, placed it in her bag and continued to eat dinner.

Remus, still looking confused, replied. "Then why not stay in Texas? Is that not warm enough for her?"

James turned his head to look at Hollie. "Your mother wants to visit a tropical beach doesn't she?" After Hollie nodded her head in agreement, James turned his focus on Remus, "there's not a tropical beach in Texas, Remus." James, all of a sudden not sure of himself, looked around at everyone, "Is there?"

"There's a beach in Texas." Remus responded, quite positive that there was.

"Remus, the Gulf Coast doesn't count," Lily informed him, "it's not tropical."

"Besides," Hollie added, "we've been to Padre Island before, several times in fact. Mum and Dad wanted to go somewhere different this year. Why the big deal, Remus? Did you want to go with us?"

"No," Remus answered quickly before taking a sip of pumpkin juice. As if he could go with them…only if Hollie's family was gone between the full moons and that was not likely to happen so perfectly. "So, Lily, what are you doing for Christmas?" Remus asked, effectively shifting the attention off of him.

Lily answered before taking another bite of food, "Going home. We don't have anything special planned though."

"Me either," James added between bites, "except for going to Hollie's for the New Year's Eve Party."

"Well I'm not," Sirius interjected not wanting to be left out.

"Not going to our party? Of course you're not going, our parents aren't exactly friends," Hollie responded quite frankly.

"Not that, I meant I'm not going home. I want to stay away from my parents as much as possible. Even if it means staying here by myself."

"You won't be by yourself." I blurted out.

"What?" Sirius looked somewhat shocked, a fork halfway to his mouth…we weren't exactly close friends.

"I'm staying here too. I got a letter from home saying that my brother Billy has mono. So my parents figured it would be better if I stayed here over the holidays." I answered, relieved that I had been able to come up with a good lie…after all, Billy having mono was a high possibility. For all I knew, he actually did have mono.

Sirius lowered the fork to his plate and looked at me confused. "But you didn't get any post."

Go figure, he would be observant now. I shrugged, "I meant earlier."

"Oh." Sirius looked disappointed and shoved more food into his mouth. Apparently he thought I was hiding something.

"Your brother has mono?" James looked at me with a smirk on his face, "As in the kissing disease?"

I nodded my head. At least I fooled him. "Yah, he tends to kiss a lot of girls. No telling which one he got it from." If Billy really had gotten mono, I wonder if he would realize that meant the girl was just as bad as he was.

"Sounds like it could be Sirius." Hollie commented, grinning at the play in words.

I shook my head. "No, Billy _is_ the future Sirius," I couldn't help but laugh at the thought. Billy and Sirius were very much alike.

"It's too bad you can't go home, Sam." Robin said, changing the subject of my brother being a playboy.

I shrugged it off. "I'll see them this summer," at least I hoped I would somehow see my brothers over the summer. Wanting to shift the attention off of me I asked, "but what about you, Robin?"

"Nothing much, just going home." She quietly responded, not wanting to be the center of attention. She looked down at her plate of food, shuffling her food around with her fork.

"So, Sam, how many girlfriends has your brother had?" Sirius asked curiously and effectively turned the conversation back to my family.

"Why would you want to know that?" I wondered, not even sure of the number myself. I never even tried to count how many girls I saw Billy with.

"Well, if I know the number, I know how many girlfriends to shoot for." A cocky smile spread across his face. Yes, he was definitely a young version of Billy.

Hollie turned to look at him, a disgusted look on her face. "You're a pig, Black."

Sirius' smile faltered for a second, thrown off by Hollie's insult, before it reappeared. "Want to be number one?" He asked her.

"Hey, that's my girlfriend you're talking to!" James exclaimed, quite indignant that his best mate had the nerve to ask out his girlfriend. Apparently James forgot that his best mate was the future ladies man of Hogwarts.

"Please, that's not going to last." Sirius stated as Remus started coughing, which sounded suspiciously like laughing, and James' mouth fell open. The shock that his friends thought so little about his relationship was apparent.

"So?" Much to my disappointment, Sirius turned his attention back on me. He seemed to be glued onto the idea of learning about my family, Billy in particular.

I slowly chewed my food before swallowing so I wouldn't have to answer right away. "Ummm…I'm not actually sure. There was Cindy, Sarah, Liz, Kim…Stacey, Laura…Tracy…and other ones that I don't remember their names…and those are the only ones I've met. He never brought them home so I only met them when we were at the park," everyone's eyes were on me with stunned expressions, "yah; my brother is a male slut."

"That man is my god!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Hollie's right…you're such a pig Black!" Lily, being absolutely appalled at Sirius' attitude, got up from the table and left.

"Are your other brothers the same way, Sam?" James asked eager to hear more.

"No…in fact E.J. is the exact opposite. He's only had one girlfriend and they dated for almost two years. Nate's never had a girlfriend but he is only 13." I stopped talking, not sure what to say after that. I hadn't talked so much about my brothers at one time before. It usually brought up painful memories and thoughts. Stupid realistic lie of Billy having mono…why couldn't I have thought of something more boring but still believable?

"So, anyone up for a game of Exploding Snap?" I asked to change the subject once again. Maybe this time it would work.

Both Hollie and Robin stated that they were probably going to head for bed since they had a long day but James answered enthusiastically. "Sure, I haven't played Exploding Snap in three days!" James jumped up from the table. Apparently the game was his favorite.

As we were leaving the table, Peter walked over and joined us. I secretly hoped he wasn't going to join the game. There was something about him I just didn't like.

"Hey, Peter, where have you been?" James asked genuinely concerned about the whereabouts of his friend.

Peter sat down at the table and sighed as he reached for some food. "Trying to finish my Charm's essay. It's a monster."

"Would you like some help, Peter?" Remus asked wanting to help his friend.

Peter brightened up at the thought. After all, Remus was extremely smart and would be a major help. "That would be great."

Remus sat down next to him and Sirius shrugged his shoulders, joining them at the table. If his mates were staying, so would he.

James sighed. "Sorry, Sam," he looked at me, quite disappointed, "looks like we won't be playing Exploding Snap."

I fought back a laugh at the look of utter disappointment on his face, "It's okay, James. We can play some other time."

He nodded his head, sat down next to Sirius and joined the conversation the other three had started.

I think Hollie and Robin had a great idea. Bed. All of a sudden sleep sounded like a wonderful idea.

* * *

**AN:** **Hey everyone! Hope you are doing well and enjoying the story. And here is where I tell you about the little game HolyMae and I came up with. Throughout our story, we will be using quotes from our favorite TV shows and movies. Sirius' exclamation, "That man is my god!" is from a TV show. So before the next chapter comes out, tell us where you think it comes from. When we post the next chapter, you'll find out if you were right.**


	11. Chess and Riddles

**Disclaimer:** All characters except for Hollie, Sam, and other non-Rowling characters belong to J.K. Rowling and we are not (unfortunately) getting any profit for this story.

* * *

**Chess and Riddles**

_Hollie POV_

Christmas was approaching fast and I wanted to give Sam a gift -so to speak -before we all headed off for the winter holidays. I knew I was making a mistake by planning this particular prank too close to the holidays thus giving her two weeks to brood and plan revenge, but I couldn't help it. The last one had been her prank, which had turned out to be quite embarrassing due to the fact that our private prank war had finally boiled out of our dormitory and into the Gryffindor common room.

"What should I do?" I twirled my wand between my thumb and middle finger as I stared out of the window, gnawing on my bottom lip.

Despite being a Muggle, Sam had taken to Hogwarts like a duck to a pond...there was no longer that uneven playing field where I had an advantage having been raised in a wizarding family...jinxes and charms came as easy to her as they did to me.

Unfortunately, the uneven playing field had shifted for her benefit, due to the fact that Sam had the upper hand when it came to Potions...which she took full advantage of whenever she planned something elaborate instead of being spontaneous.

I couldn't do that...not unless I wanted to maim or kill her, which in all reality, my hostility towards her hadn't quite reached that level.

"What to do, what to do..." my voice trailed off as I flashed back to earlier that day. During Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, Sam had briefly forgotten to use her wand for the class assignment. Professor McGonagall had pointed out that she was a witch and as such, should make an effort to always have her wand at hand. It was slight, but I remember her cringing at the word witch…is it possible that she doesn't like being called a witch?

I shook my head as I opened my wardrobe and pulled out some clothes to change out of my robes now that classes were done. It couldn't be the word witch that bothered her; after all, that was what she was. That is why she's here at Hogwarts…to become a trained witch…unless…

Quickly changing out of my robes, I grabbed my bookbag and rushed out of the dormitory, surprised as I slid down what should have been stairs. Gasping as my feet hit the ground floor, I catapulted into Sirius' arms, instinctively grabbing on to his shoulders, slightly surprised at his ability in keeping his feet on the ground.

I looked up into his smiling face, feeling anger lodged in my throat as he tightened his arms around me, his blue-grey eyes glittering with amusement. Pushing against his chest, my mouth tightened as he held me in place.

"Let me go Black," I growled, keeping my eyes trained on him. I could feel the eyes of our Gryffindor friends and couldn't help but feel the heat of embarrassment rise up my neck and onto my face.

"Not until you admit you still love me," Sirius' smile spread into a grin as I frowned, "And give me a kiss."

My mouth fell open in disgust, not quite believing his arrogant behavior. Tightening my lips, I glared at him as I prepared to knee him in the groin, "Drop dead."

I gasped as he fell to the ground, completely still. Dropping to my knees, I gently tapped his cheek, "Sirius?" I couldn't help but feel the fear rising in me as I leaned in closer, trying to see if he was breathing, so concerned at the idea that I had killed him that I was unaware of James' muffled laughter.

Without warning, Sirius reached up and pulled down my head, pressing his lips against mine. Feeling the fear turn to anger, I dug my thumb into the pressure point under his jaw, smiling with satisfaction as his head hit the floor with a soft thud.

"What did you do to him," James scrambled over the couch, rushing over to Sirius as I stood up, grabbing my bookbag from the floor, a pleased smile on my face.

"Don't worry," I shrugged as I stepped around James, heading towards the portrait opening, "I just made him fall asleep."

Remus' chuckles reached my ears and I couldn't help smiling over my shoulder at him, my eyes colliding with Sam's. Arching an eyebrow at her, my smile turned into a smirk as I climbed through the portrait opening.

"Where you going Hols," Remus cocked his head to the side, shifting around the armchair. I stopped with my hand on the wall, pausing on my way out.

"To the library," I glanced over at Sam, unable to keep myself from smirking, "I've got some research to do."

I quickly ducked out before anyone else asked more questions but not before I heard Robin say,

"What is she researching?"

* * *

We all sat in the Gryffindor room, playing Exploding Snap, laughter carrying throughout the tower. Everything was packed and most of us were ready to go in five hours, which was when the Hogwarts Express would be departing from Hogsmeade.

I looked up as the portrait swung open and a fifth year Gryffindor girl climbed through, followed by Alex and Dominic, both sporting pleased smiles.

"What are you two doing here," Remus frowned at his brother, who had the decency to blush as Dominic laughed.

"Looking for you two," Dom shrugged as he waved at the fifth year, smiling as she blushed and waved back before walking up the stairs to her dormitory, "Since we can't get in without a password, Alex charmed it out of what's her face."

"We still have five hours before the train leaves," I climbed over the back of the sofa to stand in front of my brother, "So what's the point of you two looking for us?"

"Change of plans, Bug," Dominic grinned at the grimace on my face, knowing full well I hated it when he used that nickname, "Mum invited Uncle Matt and Aunt Kat over to dinner tonight so instead of waiting until we get there, Dad came over to pick us all up. He's actually talking to Dumbledore and McGonagall right now."

"Dad's here?" I looked over my shoulder at Remus, who grinned at the fact that he would be seeing Uncle Chris for the first time since his family returned from Switzerland, then quickly looked at Sam, wondering how I was going to pull off my prank with Dad at Hogwarts.

"Yes he is," we all turned to look as Christopher Matthew Belledrex, Head Auror, climbed through the portrait hole, followed by Professor McGonagall, "And he's curious why you don't sound very pleased about it."

"Daddy!" I threw myself into his arms, knowing full well I was going to have to sweet talk him into believing that I was innocent of everything. Father pulled back after hugging me tightly, looking down at me with black eyes identical to mine.

"So tell me, young lady," Father arched an eyebrow as he watched me put on that angelic face that always tipped him off, "What mischief are you planning that you wouldn't want your father to know about?"

"I'm not planning anything," I pulled back, smiling at him as I locked my hands behind my back, "And of course I'm pleased you're here…I was just surprised, that's all."

Remus chuckled from his seat, having seen this many times, knowing full well that with just a little more work, Father would fall for my innocent routine. I glared at him over my shoulder, knowing full well he could ruin my innocent routine, just as he had many times before.

"I take it you two are packed and ready to go," Father cocked his head to the side as he looked over at my friends, "If not, I don't understand why you would be down here playing."

"Daddy," I frowned at him as he moved further into the common room, "Of course we're packed. We were playing because we weren't expecting to leave so soon…I mean, there's still one thing I have to do before we go…"

"What," Father cocked an eyebrow as he reached out to tousle Remus' light brown hair in a manner that expressed deep affection.

"Uh," I glanced at Sam out of the corner of my eye as I walked around the sofa towards the arm chair she was sitting on, "Say good-bye to everyone else."

"You mean the friends you haven't introduced me to," Father gave me a pointed stare as he leaned a hip against the back of the armchair Remus was sitting on, crossing his arms over his broad chest, "Your mother would be disappointed in your manners."

"Oh," I faked a gasp as I realized there was a way I could pull off my well planned prank without my father realizing it, "Well, you already know Remus, James and Sirius. That's Peter, the other first year Gryffindor," I pointed at the short chubby boy I couldn't stand then pointed at my roommates, "The girls are Robin, Lily and Sam...we have another roommate…she's somewhere…"

Sam, Robin and Lily looked at each other in surprise as they realized that they did indeed have another roommate. I shrugged as I pulled a folded sheet of paper out of my pocket, "I think her name is Darleen…or Dara…something with a D."

"It is her attention to detail that is going to get her far," Remus intoned innocently as he gave Father a sidelong look, grinning when his uncle, and godfather, chuckled in agreement.

"I bet you didn't even know we had a fifth roommate," I remarked snidely as I moved to sit sideways on the coffee table, making sure I would be able to look Sam squarely on the face when I turned her way.

"I don't live with your fifth roommate," Remus stuck his tongue out as he glanced at the folded sheet of paper in my hand, his gaze narrowing with suspicion, "So I don't have to know her name."

"Alright, you two," Father pushed away from the armchair, knowing from experience that arguments between Remus and I could last quite awhile if not stopped early, "I'm going with Minerva to get your trunks…I want you at the entrance in ten minutes, so start saying your good-byes now, Hollie."

"Yes Daddy," I grinned widely at my father, knowing I would be able to do what I had prepared for the past week as soon as he stepped out of the common room, "I'm sure Remus, Alex and Dominic would be willing to help you find our trunks."

Father arched his eyebrows as he gave me a long glance, turning to look at Remus, who looked slightly preoccupied. Shaking his head, he decided to leave well enough alone instead of wasting time trying to get me to admit to any planned mischief. I did, after all, inherit my close mouthed tendencies from him.

"Come on, Remus," Father walked towards the portrait, where Professor McGonagall stood waiting with Alex and Dominic, "We have much to catch up on."

"Yes, Uncle Chris," Remus stood up, grabbing his coat from the back of the armchair, his eyes silently begging me to leave well enough alone. I smiled at him, not needing to remind him whose side he should be on anyway, "I'll see you at the entrance, Hols."

"Won't take long," I grinned as I looked at Sam out of the corner of my eye. I could see that she was suspicious of my behavior, which couldn't be helped with the surprise visit of my father. I had to make sure she wasn't completely on her guard if I wanted the spell I had worked on over the past week to work.

I watched as Remus walked out of the common room behind my father, leaving me behind with my roommates, as well as James, Peter and Sirius, who seemed busy with an intense game of Exploding Snap in the opposite side of the sitting area. Turning to look at Sam, I smiled at her before looking at Lily and Robin.

"I'll send you girls postcards from Texas and Hawaii," I cocked my head to the side as I looked into two pairs of curious eyes, "Is there anything you want me to bring you from there?"

"Oh," Robin's sapphire blue eyes brightened, "Could you get me a real honest to goodness Indian arrow?"

I laughed as I unfolded the piece of paper, not looking at it once, "I'll do one better. I'll ask my uncle to make it for you…he's a real honest to goodness Indian."

"That would be fantastic," Robin exclaimed excitedly as she grinned at Sam then turned to look at Lily.

"What about you Lily," I cocked my head to the side, twirling a curl around my finger as I nonchalantly played with the piece of paper in my other hand, "Anything I can get you?"

"Well," Lily squinted her eyes as she tried to figure out what to ask for, "Maybe something from Hawaii…something I can use…I just don't know what."

I grinned at her, "I think I know exactly what to get you," turning to look at Sam face on, I smiled at her, "What about you Sam? Anything I could get you?"

"Why would you get me anything," Sam's eyes narrowed with suspicion, "We're not even friends."

"Well," I cocked my head to the side, "Mother will expect me to get something for all my roommates...she would see it as rude if I left you out…despite the fact that I don't like you."

"Well," Sam crossed her arms over her chest, shifting to tuck her legs under her, "You could get me whatever you want. I really don't care."

"Alright," I looked into her brown eyes, my smile growing as I recalled the memorized spell on the paper in my hand, "You are what you fear and what you fear you will see. In one day's time you will become what you believe, and you'll be what you fear. That way you will stay until you realize what you are and what you fear are not the same."

"What the hell was that," Sam's eyebrows lowered in confusion and renewed suspicion.

"It'll come to you," I handed her the piece of paper as I rose from the table, walking towards the portrait opening. Before walking out I looked over my shoulder and grinned at all my Gryffindor friends, "Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas…especially you, Sam."

I couldn't help laughing as I walked out of the common room, leaving behind a seriously confused Sam. In twenty-four hours, she'll know what it was all about…and it should last until she's smart enough to figure out the riddle within the spell. Too bad I wasn't going to be around to see how this one turned out.

* * *

_Sam POV_

I was sitting in the common room staring into the fire. The dormitory was almost empty due to the fact that the majority of the students were now home for Christmas and here I was, stuck at Hogwarts because I had nowhere to go.

But I wasn't going to think about that. Instead I focused on the book I had brought down from my room, _The Fellowship of the Ring_. I had fallen in love with _The Hobbit_ and during the summer I had decided to move on to the sequel. The book was a lot thicker and therefore would take a lot longer to read but I was willing to try. Besides, losing myself in another world sounded wonderful right now. It would take my mind off my present thoughts…thoughts I had been trying to avoid all semester.

A movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention. I looked up from my book as Sirius walked towards me. I sighed, knowing this vacation was going to be long. Just me and Sirius Black. I spent the majority of the semester avoiding Sirius as much as possible and I planned to continue that during the break. I was only 11 years old but Billy had already pounded it into my head to stay away from boys like him and I intended to do it. Sirius Black had Billy written all over him. That's why I had stayed away from him these past few months instead of trying to become friends. He reminded me too much of Billy and the last thing I needed was to spend time with someone who would only be a constant reminder of what I had lost. It was why I was reading my book right now.

Sirius interrupted my thoughts as he collapsed onto the armchair, "I'm bored out of my mind."

I ignored him and kept reading.

"Say something!" He exclaimed.

"You mean I'm supposed to entertain you?" I lowered my book and stared at Sirius. The nerve of him. We might have been the only fist years but I wasn't going to spend my break saving Sirius from boredom. Couldn't he entertain himself?

"You have to admit that since it's just the two of us, we might as well hang out. If we don't it's going to be a very boring vacation. It's only day two of vacation and I'm already bored out of my mind." He paused briefly to see if I would contradict him. I didn't. I wasn't sure how to explain to him that I would rather have a boring vacation than spend my free time with him. When I didn't respond, Sirius continued, "What are you doing sitting here all by yourself?"

I held up my book although I had no idea how he missed the fact that I was reading.

"Reading…obviously. Go entertain yourself. It can't be that hard." To stress my point, I re-opened my book and continued reading.

* * *

_Sirius POV_

I watched her as she opened her book, ignoring me. We weren't friends…well, not even acquaintances. Sometimes, it seemed like she didn't like being around me…as if I annoyed her or something.

Sucking air through my teeth, I continued to stare at her, noticing for the first time how pretty she was. Her dark blonde hair, which she always kept in a pony tail, looked thick and the light from the fire made it shine. Her eyebrows were the same shade as her hair and they naturally arched over a large pair of brown eyes, which were framed by long dark eyelashes. She had a straight nose, a stubborn chin, and I couldn't help but think that her lips were made to be kissed.

"What?"

"Huh?" I shook my head, focusing on Sam, trying not to laugh at the disgruntled look on her face.

"You were staring at me," Sam's lips thinned in annoyance, "So I assume you want something."

"Uh…" I knew I looked like an idiot with my mouth hanging open but for some reason I couldn't come up with something clever, "Well…want to play Wizard's Chess?"

"I've never played Wizard's Chess," Sam wrinkled her nose and I couldn't help but think it adorable, "I don't like chess."

"Oh, you'll like Wizard's Chess," I jumped out of my chair and headed up to the guys' dorm room, hoping Remus hadn't taken his set home with him. Shifting through the things in his wardrobe, I finally located the much used board, grabbing the leather bag that contained the beat up pieces. Remus needed new chess pieces but I understood why he was hesitant to buy new ones. New chess pieces couldn't help but give advice, whether on the board or on the sidelines. There was nothing more frustrating than chess pieces that challenged every command given and it took a long time to break them of that irritating habit.

Rushing down the stairs, I walked by Sam's chair, took the book out of her hands and marked her page before tossing it aside, "Alright. Have you played chess before?"

"Yes," Sam muttered as she picked up her book and placed it on the arm of her chair, "My brother EJ loves the game and forces me to play with him…Billy and Nate refuse to play and I'm the only one willing to give him a good game."

"Fantastic," I quickly set out the game before sitting back in my chair, "This is just like chess, except all you have to do is call out the command. The pieces move themselves."

"Oh," Sam leaned back in her chair, tucking her legs under her again, "Well, that does sound a little better than just regular old chess."

"Yup," I turned in the arm chair to dangle my legs over the side, "You be white, white is first, so you go first."

"I be white," Sam chuckled to herself as she studied the board, her brows drawing low over her eyes in concentration. I tried not to chuckle at the fierce focus evident on her face, knowing she would probably think I was laughing at her.

"Why are the white pieces so…?" Sam picked up a bishop and turned it in her hand, "Beat up?"

"Because Remus is always black and he is merciless no matter who he plays…the only person that can actually give him a good game is Hollie…but only because he taught her how to play."

"I still don't understand how that would make the pieces look like they've been broken and glued back together again…" Sam looked up at me, her eyebrows raised, letting me know she wasn't making a statement but asking a question.

"Just make your move. You'll understand soon enough," I wiggled deeper into the chair, making sure I was comfortable. Sam shrugged, placed the bishop back on the board and leaned back in her chair.

"Pawn to E4."

I watched her reaction as her piece did as she commanded. I enjoyed watching novices when it came to Wizard's Chess. No other wizard game elicited the same reaction…except for Quidditch. Looking at the board, I commanded a pawn to move two squares up. It took a minute or two of arguing before the piece huffed in annoyance and did as I said.

A couple of moves into the game, I was able to demonstrate to Sam why the white pieces were so beat up. I laughed at her gasp of shock as my pawn attacked hers, breaking it into pieces and dragging it off the board.

"That is absolutely barbaric!" She looked up at me, her mouth still open in shock and I couldn't help but laugh harder.

"No, it's not," I shook my head, my hair falling into my eyes. Reaching up, I shoved it back, "Its Wizard's Chess."

Several more moves into the game, Sam was starting to get the hang of seeing the pieces duke it out on the board. She even seemed to be enjoying herself.

It was in the middle of this intense game when something strange happened.

"Oh…" I gaped at Sam, who had been contemplating her next move, "Uh…oh…Sam...umm."

"What," Sam looked up and I couldn't help but recoil in reaction.

"You…uhh…look…" I grimaced as I gesticulated towards her face, "You should…uhh...take a look in the…mirror."

"What?" Sam gave me a confused look, trying to understand what I was trying to get at, "Why?"

"You, uh, look…" I shifted in my seat, wondering how Hollie had pulled this off without being here, "Like one of those…stereotypical…Muggle witches."

"What?" Sam jumped up from the armchair and moved quickly to one of the mirrors in the common room.

Even though I knew I shouldn't, I couldn't help but laugh as she started to scream.

"I look like a hag!" Sam touched her face, her fingers moving over the wrinkled skin, touching the pock marks on her cheeks before gingerly touching the large wart in the middle of her crooked, drooping nose. As if that weren't enough, her hair had turned into a brittle pewter gray with white streaks shot through it. Glancing down at her hands, she watched in horror as the fingers bent and twisted, leaving her with claw like hands. Looking back in the mirror, she watched herself shrink and she quickly realized why. Her shoulders where stooping, forcing her to hunch forward until she was bent like a question mark.

Turning to glare at me as I continued to laugh, literally bent over double, holding my stomach, she moved towards the stairs to the girls' dorm room, her voice hoarse and cracking, "That little bitch is going to sorely regret this."

I collapsed on the floor, laughing so hard. I just couldn't wait to see what Sam was going to do to Hollie in retaliation for this. Getting off the floor with some difficulty, I headed towards the girls' dorm room, going up the stairs only to have them turn into a slide halfway there. Sliding down, I landed on my arse at the foot of the slide. I leaned back into the slide, stretching my arms and legs out.

"Come downstairs, Sam," I called out, making sure I was loud enough just incase she had gone deaf as well. Shaking my head, I pushed myself to my feet and walked away, sure that a slide would not be good for Granny Sam, "I'm sure we can figure out how to…well…change you back."

"It's a damn riddle," Sam hobbled down the stairs, a piece of paper clasped in her claw like hand, "She gave me a damn riddle and I can't even read it because my eyesight is shot!"

"Well," I shrugged as I watched her going down the stairs with a great amount of difficulty, "The eyes are one of the first things to go when you get old."

"You're enjoying this way too much, Black," she snarled at me as she gingerly sat back in the armchair, "You tell anybody about this, I'm taking you down."

I laughed as I collapsed into the sofa, "What you gonna do? Trip me with your walking stick?"

"Don't make me hex you," Sam shrieked, then grimaced at the sound of her voice. She sounded like a dying old lady. Turning back to the wrinkled paper in her hand, she squinted her eyes as she moved the paper closer to her face, trying to make out the small neat print.

"Here," I reached over and snatched the paper from her, "I'll read it to you, Grandma."

"Don't call me Grandma," she hissed only to start coughing, her rheumatic eyes watering as breath rattled through her old lungs.

I shook my head, laughing hard as I looked over the sentences, immediately recognizing Hollie's neat handwriting, "This isn't a riddle, Sam. It's a spell. How did she manage to cast this without you stopping her?"

"She got me by surprise," Sam gasped, still trying to catch her breath, "I can barely breathe. My chest feels weird."

"That's because you more than likely have phlegm," I grimaced as I looked at her, watching her cough before handing her a tissue from my pocket, "It happens when you get old."

"I'm not –" a hacking cough finally cleared Sam's lungs. She grimaced in distaste at the tissue in her hand before tossing it into the fireplace, "Never mind that. What about the spell? How do I reverse it? Am I going to have to go to Madam Pomfrey?"

"I don't think Madam Pomfrey is going to be able to help you, Granny," I folded the page so the spell was on the outside before studying it again, "But I'm sure if we put our heads together, we can figure this out. See, you're partly right. This is a riddle…well, a riddle within the spell. If we figure out the riddle, then we can break the spell."

"Don't call me Granny," Sam growled at me as she shifted around the armchair to get comfortable, which was made impossible by her arthritic bones.

"Either I can call you Granny or you figure this out on your own," I chuckled as I looked up at her, seeing a look in her face I had only seen on my great-grandmother some months before she died.

"I swear to you, Hollie is going to regret this little prank," Sam pressed her hand against her fast beating heart, which wouldn't have been much of a problem if she didn't have the body of a ninety year old.

"Well, she did you a favor," I quickly raised my hands in a mock show of surrender, "All I meant was that now you have all Christmas break to plan an elaborate prank on her…well, as soon as we figure this out."

"Yeah, yeah," Sam closed her eyes, feeling the aches and pains of old bones. For the first time, she actually felt empathy for her grandmother Eileen, an old woman that constantly complained about her aging body, "She will rue the day she decided to give me a month to contemplate revenge."

"What do you fear, Gran-Gran," I laughed at the glare she send my way. She was right; I was having way too much fun with this. I would have to remember to thank Hollie for this early Christmas gift.

"I don't know what you mean."

"According to this spell, you fear something you believe, but what you fear and believe is not what you are. So are you afraid of getting old?"

"No, I don't," Sam lowered her bushy eyebrows down over her eyes in concentration, "I mean, I know I'll eventually get old but that's far into the future…wait! What did you say I looked like before I looked in the mirror?"

"Uh…" I closed my eyes as I tried to remember what I had said, "I compared you to a…Muggle witch. You know, like the one kids dress up as on Halloween…the stereotypical looking witch."

Sam's eyes widened as she realized something, "Read the riddle out loud. I just want to make sure that she's referring to what I think she's referring to."

"Okay, Grandma," I laughed as she glowered at me, knowing full well I was irritating her, "Let's see…_You are what you fear and what you fear you will see_...so that means that you're afraid of old hags…_In one day's time you will become what you believe_…so you believe in old hag witches…_and you'll be what you fear_...so now you're an old hag witch. _That way you will stay until you realize what you are and what you fear are not the same_...now that one's a little trickier but one thing's for sure…you're going to stay an old hag until you figure this out."

"I can do without the commentary, Sirius," Sam snapped as she pushed herself out of the chair, snatching the paper out of my hand.

"**Ouch!**" I stared up at her, holding my hand, "**Multiple paper cuts!**"

"Yeah, that's what you get for being a smart ass," Sam muttered as she left the common room, slowly hobbling up the stairs.

"Make sure you let me know when you figure it out," I laughed, knowing full well I was being a pain in the arse but in all reality, there was no way not to poke fun at her, "Otherwise, I won't need proof when I tell the guys about this."

"I will kill you!" Sam's voice cracked in the middle of her threat, sending me into another fit of laughter.

I couldn't believe my good luck. It was day two of Christmas break and I had been very well entertained by Hollie…and she wasn't even here. Man, that girl was bloody awesome…

If only there was a way to get her to break up with James and go out with me. I slouched deeper into the chair as I started plotting ways to convince Hollie to choose me…she couldn't have anyone better…

* * *

**AN:** Hey everone! We hope you enjoyed the chapter. The above line, "Ouch! Multiple paper cuts!" is another quote but from where? You tell us! By the way, the quote from the last chapter has not been quessed yet. So you know have two quotes!

Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	12. Christmas Parties and Paranoia

**Disclaimer: **All characters except for Hollie, Sam, and other non-Rowling characters belong to J.K. Rowling and we are not (unfortunately) getting any profit for this story.

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**Christmas Parties and Paranoia**

_Hollie POV_

"Katie, they're here!"

"There's no need for you to shout, Matt," Katerina Rose Lupin walked out of her kitchen, wiping her hands on a Christmas themed hand towel, "I heard them appear."

"Hi, Uncle Matt!" I let go of Father's hand and ran down the hall, jumping into Matthew Christopher Lupin's arms, not caring that I was acting like a six year old. This was, after all, my godfather and my favorite uncle, even though we weren't related by blood.

"Well, hello munchkin," Uncle Matt tightened his arms around me, dropping a kiss on my forehead before putting me down on the floor, "I heard you turned twelve two weeks ago."

"You did?" I grinned up at him, knowing this game well although we hadn't played it in three years, "Who told you?"

"Your Aunt Katie," Matt looked over his shoulder at his wife, his brown eyes filled with love everyone but the other couple missed, "She happened to mention your birthday, which was good 'cause I would have forgotten to get you a gift otherwise."

"Well I'm glad she reminded you," I nodded in pleasure as I turned to hug my godmother around the waist, "Thank you for reminding him, Aunt Kat. You know I hate it when people forget my birthday."

"Of course I do," Kat bent over to return the hug, dropping a kiss on my head, "Remus is in the family room, playing chess with Alex."

"Thanks, Aunt Kat," I grinned up at them before turning to run down the hall, anxious to see Remus after the two weeks spent in Texas.

"Hollie!" Remus looked up from the board just in time to catch me as I tackled him, tripping over the chair he was sitting on, both of us landing on the floor laughing, "You just knocked over the board!"

"Thanks a lot, Holls," Alex grinned as he stood up, reaching down to help me to my feet, "Thanks to you, I didn't lose this one…and since I was ahead, I think we should just say I won."

"I don't think so," Remus grumbled as he stood up, righting the table and picking up the pieces, "You may have had me on check but I was about to take your king before Queen Klutz here attacked me and ruined my entire strategy."

"Excuse me," I frowned at Remus, my fists resting on my hips, "I'm not married, so it's Princess Klutz, thank you very much."

Alex and Remus laughed as Dominic walked into the room, hands in his pockets.

"What's so funny?"

"Your sister," Alex chuckled as he reached out to straighten the ribbons on my hair before tugging at a fat curl, "You're looking real pretty today, Hollie."

I couldn't help but blush as I smiled shyly up at him, "Thank you Alex."

He smiled down at me once more before turning around and walking out of the room with Dominic in tow. I sighed as I watched them turn into the hallway before turning to look at Remus, quickly taking stock of what he was wearing.

"Remus," I grinned at his black slacks and maroon sweater vest over a white button down shirt with a muted gold tie, "We match!"

"You have a crush on my brother," Remus stared at me, his light blue eyes wide in surprise, his mouth slightly opened in shock.

"What," I couldn't help the blush that crept up my neck and into my cheeks, "No!"

"Yeah, you do," Remus shook his head as if trying to clear his mind, "You just sighed as he walked away."

"I don't…I just…it's not…keep it to yourself, okay?"

"Of course," Remus looked offended as he moved to sit on the couch, "When have I ever told anyone your secrets?"

"I'm sorry," I sighed as I sat next to him, "I didn't mean that. It's nothing, really. It's just…well, he's older…and he's really cute…"

"Of course he is," Remus gave me a side smile that let me know he was teasing, "He looks like me."

I giggled as I flopped back into the couch, staring at the framed pictures on the wall across the living room, "So how were your first two weeks of Christmas break?"

"Boring," Remus played with the pleat on his slacks as he wiggled deeper into the cushions.

"Really?" I turned to look at him, "I would think you'd have fun being reunited with Zeus."

"Yeah, no. It seems he's forgotten that he used to be my dog."

"Give him a break;" I pushed myself out of the couch and moved across the room towards the black baby grand piano in the corner next to the fireplace, "He was a puppy when you left. He's been with me for three years…naturally, he thinks he's mine."

"Yeah, well," Remus shrugged, feeling uncomfortable about my mentioning the three years we'd been apart, "Are you going to play something?"

"Do I have to play something," I asked as I picked out a random melody with one hand.

"Since no one but Mum and I touch the piano, yeah, you have to play something."

"Uh," I cocked my head to the side, trying to make up my mind on what to play, "It's been a long time since I've played the piano, so give me some time to figure out what to play."

"What happened to your piano lessons?"

"Well, since your mum was my piano teacher, Mum looked for someone else to teach me but she let me quit after a few lessons because I couldn't stop crying."

"I'm sorry," Remus whispered as he stared down at his hands, remembering how miserable he had been the first year away and knowing it had been just as miserable for me, "Do you still sing?"

"Yes," I smiled at him, not wanting him to feel bad, "And I play the guitar."

"You play the guitar? You never showed much interest before whenever Dad and Alex played. Although Dad did try to teach you...actually he tried teaching both of us."

"I always liked hearing them play but it wasn't until I spent the summer down in Texas with my cousins Cade and Reba that I actually got interested in playing. Cade was the one that taught me the basics then my Uncle Jack gave me a guitar before I returned to London. That was the first summer you weren't here."

"And you kept at it?"

"Yeah, I'm absolutely obsessed with my guitar, which is why Mum didn't let me take it with me to Hogwarts this year. It's been an absolute pain for me…literally and figuratively."

"I take it you've lost your calluses," Remus grinned down at me as I placed both hands on the keys of the piano.

"Yes, but no worries. I'll get them back this summer and Mum said I can take my guitar with me next year if I get high marks this year…and I just figured out what I'm going to play."

"What?"

"_Both Sides Now_ by Joni Mitchell."

"Who's that?"

"She's a Muggle musician," I smiled at him as I began the opening chords, "She's English and her music is beautiful. This is one of my favorite songs. I'll even sing the lyrics for you."

"Alright."

_Rows and flows of angel hair_

_And ice cream castles in the air_

_And feather canyons everywhere_

_Looked at clouds that way_

_But now they only block the sun_

_They rain and they snow on everyone_

_So many things I would've done_

_But clouds got in my way_

_I've looked at clouds from both sides now_

_From up and down_

_And still somehow_

_Its cloud's illusions I recall_

_I really don't know clouds_

_At all_

_Moons in June and Ferris wheels_

_The dizzy dancing way that you feel_

_As every fairy tale comes true_

_I've looked at love that way_

_But now it's just another show_

_And you leave them laughing when you go_

_And if you can don't let them know_

_Don't give yourself away_

_I've looked at love from both sides now_

_From give and take_

_And still somehow_

_Its love's illusions that I recall_

_I really don't know love _

_I really don't know love at all_

_Tears and fears and feeling proud_

_To say I love you right out loud_

_Dreams and schemes and circus crowds_

_I've looked at life that way_

_Oh but now old friends_

_They're acting strange_

_And they shake their heads_

_And they tell me that I've changed_

_Well something's lost _

_And something's gained_

_In living every day_

_Oh I've looked at life from both sides now_

_From win and loose _

_And still somehow_

_Its life's illusions I recall_

_I really don't know life_

_At all_

_Its life's illusions that I recall_

_I really don't know life_

_I really don't know life at all_

"Wow," Remus stared at me, his light blue eyes wide with surprise, "Your singing has gotten better. That was amazing."

"Are you saying my singing was horrid before," I frowned at him playfully, crossing my arms over my chest.

"No, that's not what I said," Remus bumped his shoulder into mine, "Its gotten better…it's matured…so to speak."

"Well, that's what constant practice does…that, and joining a choir."

"Too true…hey, I have your birthday gift," Remus stood up, about to run out of the family room to head upstairs to his room.

"You already sent me my birthday gift," I looked at him in confusion, my eyebrows lowered over my black eyes.

"Yes," Remus looked over his shoulder as he continued to head to the stairs, "That was for your twelfth birthday. This one's for the last three that I missed."

"Oh," I grinned as I stood up to go find my mother, "Good thing I got one for you to make up for the last three birthdays as well."

Remus laughed as he dashed up the stairs and I turned the corner, finding my Mother in the kitchen helping Aunt Kat with dinner, "Mum, where's Remus' gift? The one I asked you to buy?"

"It's on the counter," Jess looked up from the kneading bread and peeling potatoes.

"Thanks Mum," I grinned at her before I turned to Aunt Kat, "It smells great in here by the way."

I grabbed the wrapped box on the counter and dashed out of the kitchen, calling an apology over my shoulder as my Mother reminded me not to run inside the house. Remus was already in the family room, sitting on the couch, a gaily wrapped gift with a silver bow in his hand.

I plopped myself down next to him, kicking off my shoes before tucking my feet under me.

"So…want to open yours first?" Remus smiled as he handed me his gift and taking mine with his free hand.

"We can open them at the same time," I grinned up at him as he nodded before we both turned to our gifts, pulling off the bows and ripping into the paper.

I opened the lid to a black velvet box to find a gold bracelet. Gasping, I pulled it out. The chain was a simple thin braid of gold that held two small hearts held together by a small diamond.

I looked up in shock at Remus just to find him staring at me with a similar look as he held the black leather portfolio filled with quality music sheet paper, a golden eagle feather quill and erasable ink.

"Remus –"

"Hollie –"

We both laughed as we tried to thank the other at the same time. Shrugging simultaneously, he placed his gift to the side as I held out my right wrist, giving him the bracelet so he could put it on.

"This is really pretty," I smiled at him as he placed the bracelet over my wrist, struggling with the clasp for a few seconds before getting it to lock.

"I wanted to get you something special," Remus grinned as he turned back to his gift, "And I'm glad I did because what you got me is great."

"I knew that you were into music and I just thought that maybe, by this point, you might have started working on writing music of your own."

"Well, thank you. This is the best gift I've ever gotten," Remus leaned in to hug me, his arms closing around my shoulders as mine closed around his waist.

"Thank you for my bracelet. It's the most beautiful gift anyone's ever given me," I hugged him tighter before pulling back and kissing his cheek, smiling up into his blue eyes.

* * *

_3__RD__ Person_

Matt and Chris walked towards the dining room, talking about the ministry and the situation concerning that psychotic sorcerer known as Lord Voldemort and his followers. The possibility of the ministry putting a stop to their antics was diminishing quickly.

"It's getting really bad, Chris," Matt ran his hand through his brown hair as they approached the family room, "These Death Eaters are starting to get worse as time goes by. We need to catch this guy and his followers or things are going to get insane."

"We'll find him, Matt," Chris tugged at his tie even though he knew his wife Jess would make him straighten it as soon as she saw him, "We just have to find a way to get a step ahead of them."

As they walked by the family room, Chris looked into it to see his daughter and Remus hugging. He smiled as they continued walking, nudging Matt so he could get a quick glimpse before they were no longer in sight.

"You think those two will ever get together," Matt asked with a smile as he stopped outside the dining room, leaning against the wall.

"Well, we both know that it all depends on me breaking that stupid family curse."

"So there really is a curse, uh?" Matt pushed away from the wall, stuffing his hands into his pants' pockets.

"I did some research while you were in Switzerland and found out that it is true. It was some prejudice uncle about five generations back that put the curse on the family line. I've been working on breaking the curse, especially after I saw how hard it was for Hollie to be separated from Remus," Chris couldn't help give Matt a stern glare although he no longer blamed him for having disappeared with his family for three years.

"Believe me, it was no picnic for Remus either. He was miserable without Hollie around…although I think it was a good idea to separate them for a while. They were like brother and sister by the time we left," Matt arched an eyebrow at Chris, knowing his best friend and Auror partner would understand where he was going with this.

"And now they just might be able to see each other as something more," he nodded as the door to the kitchen opened and their wives walked out with food stuff to take into the dining room, "But that's something we will talk about later."

"Talk about what?" Kat asked as she moved towards the dining room with gravy and mashed potatoes in hand, her light blue eyes, identical to Remus', gazing speculatively at Matt and Chris.

"Work stuff," Matt shrugged as he tried not to look guilty. He knew that Kat was still, after eleven years, irritated over what she called the idiotic mistake he and Chris had done concerning their younger children. So he knew bringing up a possible marriage between Remus and Hollie, his and Chris' biggest hope, might possibly cause a strained dinner and a later scolding.

"Straighten your tie, darling," Jess frowned at her husband as she walked behind Kat, baskets of freshly baked rolls in her hands.

"Yes, sweetheart," Chris grinned at Matt as he straightened his tie, "Would you like us to help you bring out the food from the kitchen?"

"No," Kat walked out of the dining room, poking Matt on the side to make him straighten up, "But you can go and get the kids. Dominic and Alex are up in Alex's room and I believe Remus and Hollie are still in the family room."

"I'll go get Dominic and Alex," Matt leaned down to kiss Kat before heading towards the stairs.

"I guess that means I'll get the younger ones," Chris turned towards the family room but not before reaching out to pinch his wife's derrière.

"Christopher Matthew Belledrex!" Jess swatted his hand in outrage but the smile on her face and twinkle in her bright blue eyes gave her away.

Chris laughed as he walked down the hallway, turning into the family room to find Hollie and Remus still on the couch, talking to each other in hush tones. He really did hope that something developed between those two…nothing would give him more pleasure than for his daughter to become a Lupin.

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_Alex's POV_

"So they'll be scouts at the next game," Dominic looked up from the cards, his bright blue eyes, identical to his mother's, filled with barely contained excitement.

"There are scouts at every game, every year," I put down my next card, leaning back against the head of my bed, which is where we were sitting while playing a simple card game, "But they'll be inviting players of their choice to the general try-outs."

"General try-outs," Dominic played his next card as he stretched out his crossed legs.

"That's where we'll meet managers and coaches. They'll choose players to try-out for their teams after school let's out. So if we make it into a team, we start training within days of team try-outs," I played my next card, smiling at Dominic's groan as he realized he lost…again, "But we do need to get into the general try-outs first."

"That shouldn't be a problem for you. You're one of the best Seekers Hogwarts has had in a long time," Dominic threw the rest of his cards into the middle of the bed, his blue eyes trained on me. I knew what he wanted me to say and I had no problem accommodating him.

"Oh don't act like you don't know you're one hell of a Beater," I grabbed all the cards and straightened them out before shuffling them for a new game, "You're one of the best Hogwarts has ever seen…except, of course, when Evie's in the stands during practice."

"I wasn't staring at Evie. You must have gotten faint and fell off your broom," Dominic grinned at me as he picked up his cards.

"Yeah, like that will ever happen. Why won't you ask her out? She obviously likes you."

"My sister."

I couldn't help but laugh as I put down the first card, "Blame your sister, that's real manlike."

"No, I'm not kidding," Dominic put down his responding card, his brows lowered in consternation, "I played a little trick on her –"

"The Sorting."

"Right," Dominic watched me as I placed down my next card, grimacing because he knew he would be losing this game too, "She hasn't gotten back at me and I don't want Evie in the line of fire, so to speak, when she finally does. I keep hoping that maybe she's forgotten –"

"Your sister forget revenge? Yeah right."

"Exactly," Dominic looked at his cards to try to plan out his next move, "So I am being slightly paranoid about it."

"Well, your sister does have a long memory when it comes to people who have wronged her," I couldn't help but chuckle as memories of past paybacks came to mind, "But have you ever wondered if maybe making you wait for payback is her payback?"

"What do you mean," Dominic gave me a quizzical look as he dropped another card. I knew he was really concentrating on what I was saying because the card he had chosen was utter crap.

"She knows you like Evie…you talk to her during every meal and I've seen your sister look over at you. Maybe she's using your fear of payback against you by making you wait and therefore, you're not dating Evie like you want to."

Dominic scoffed as he watched me trump his card with my next one, "She's not that smart…or is she?"

"She is Uncle Chris' daughter…remember, she not only looks like him, she thinks like him."

"Son of a –" Dominic threw the rest of his cards into the pile in defeat, "You win. I can't believe she would actually be that mean. Revenge is one thing, but leaving you paranoid and waiting for it…that's just cruel."

"That's your sister," I laughed as my bedroom door opened. We both turned to see Dad standing there, a grin on his face.

"Dinner's ready."

I grinned at him as I jumped off the bed, quickly putting on my shoes, Dominic doing the same beside me, "Thanks Dad. We'll be right behind you."

"One thing, though."

I looked up from lacing my shoes at Dominic, "What?"

"My sister doesn't look over at our table to watch me talk to Evie," Dominic gave me a smile that was closer to a mocking sneer and I knew what was coming, "It's you she's watching. She's got a crush on you."

"I know," I sighed as I straightened up and walked out of my room, followed by Dominic who was grinning like the git he was, "Why do you think I don't date anyone?"

"Oh, so now you're blaming her for your lack of a social life?"

"Your sister's a cute kid," I looked over at my shoulder as Dominic arched an eyebrow in response to my comment, "She's just a little…"

"Frightening?"

"Right," I shrugged as I descended the stairs, "I don't think it's fair for a girl to end up scared shitless by your sister just because I asked her out on a date."

Dominic couldn't help but laugh as he clambered down the steps behind me, "We are a pair of gutless prats. Do you realize that we are allowing a twelve year old dictate our social lives? What kind of sick power is that?"

"The kind of power your sister would love to know she had over us, but we aren't going to let her know," I glared over my shoulder at him, "And you are not allowed to tease her about me, either. I'll kick your arse to Hogwarts and back if you do."

"Oh don't worry about me teasing precious little Hollie," I frowned at the mocking tone in Dominic's voice, "I think she's gotten it into her head to bring me down because of what Sam did. I don't want to add another dark mark against me."

"Ah, yes," I laughed as we turned the corner into the hallway, "I've been expecting her to do something about that…unfortunately, I think I may be included in that payback."

"Why would you be?"

"Because I have the misfortune of being your best friend and not hers."

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**AN: **We hope you enjoyed the different point of views and the introduction of Hollie and Remus' parents. If you stay tuned, you will discover they play major roles later on in the story.


	13. New Friendship and Presents

******Disclaimer:** All characters except for Hollie, Sam, and other non-Rowling characters belong to J.K. Rowling and we are not (unfortunately) getting any profit for this story.

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**New Friendship and Presents**

_Sam's POV_

Hollie's latest prank. I had to get even. Luckily for me, I had the rest of break to think of my best prank yet. Hollie wasn't too bright about when she did her prank when all I had was time. No classes, no homework, just time to think about my revenge.

I was lost in my thoughts as Sirius came downstairs and bounded over to me. "I wasn't expecting to see you down here. Did you get tired of your room or did you just now figure out that riddle?"

I shook my head, "No, I figured that out awhile ago…it didn't even take me a full day. I just didn't feel like leaving my room."

"You picked the best day to join the living again. It's Christmas! So by the way, happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas, Sirius."

"You know what I said the other day is still true. This is going to be a very boring vacation if you continue to ignore me," he paused, letting his words sink in "So…what are you doing?"

I sighed and gave in, knowing Sirius was right. It was him or insane boredom, "Nothing much. Just thinking about what I'm going to do to Hollie. You know, she shouldn't have done her prank when she did. All she managed to do was give me all this time to come up with something really good."

He gazed at me for a few seconds before responding, "You know what I think you should do, not about the prank itself, but the timing? I suggest you wait a few weeks after she gets back to pull the prank. When she returns from break, she'll be expecting it. If you wait a little while, not only will you have her worried about it for weeks but she won't be prepared when you actually pull the prank. She'll drop her guard by then. Plus, you'll have even more time to perfect your idea."

A smile grew on my face as I let his idea sink in, "Sirius, you're a genius! Why didn't I think about that?"

"You're too focused on planning the actual prank, not when to do it –and like you said…I'm a genius." He added with a smug smile on his face.

I rolled my eyes. Why did I say that? All I did was stroke his over inflated ego. I would have to be careful about what I said from now on, making sure that nothing went to his head but if it kept me from insane boredom, I would deal with it. "So what did you have in mind to do today?"

He shrugged, "We have a lot of options but my favorite is exploring the castle." A mischievous smile and sparkling eyes gave away his reasons for wanting to roam the castle.

I looked at him curiously, "Haven't you already explored the castle with James, Remus and Peter?"

"Not completely. Our days have been filled with classes and we have a curfew," his voice dripped with disdain at the mere mention of the curfew, "but now there's absolutely nothing we have to do! We can spend all the time we want just walking around the castle. Can you even imagine how many secret hidden passageways this place has?" Sirius grew more excited.

His excitement started growing on me. He was right. This place was huge and old. There was bound to be parts of the castle, hallways and classrooms, that hadn't been used in years. They were sitting there, waiting to be rediscovered. Who knows what we could find? So what if Billy told me to stay away from boys like him? I wasn't going to start snogging Sirius or anything. Besides, Billy was a lot of fun to hang out with. If Sirius was a lot like Billy, maybe hanging out with Sirius wouldn't be that bad after all.

* * *

"Hey, Sam!" I heard Sirius greet me as I entered the common room. The Christmas break was now over. The other students had recently returned and classes started again tomorrow. Sirius and the rest of the boys were sitting by the fire place, looking to be planning the next prank. James, Remus and Peter looked surprised at Sirius' enthusiastic greeting being their first time witnessing the new friendship between me and Sirius.

"Hey, Sirius," I replied walking over to the boys, trying to catch a glimpse of their plans of mayhem, "What are you four up to?"

"Nothing much," James tried to say nonchalantly but he couldn't quite suppress the smile or the twinkling in his eyes. Yes, they were definitely up to something. It wasn't too surprising that these four boys couldn't even wait a full day before starting to plan the first prank of the semester.

"Sure James, and I had a boring Christmas with Sirius." I couldn't help but respond, letting him know that I knew what they were up to.

Remus laughed, "So you had a good Christmas then?"

I sat down on the couch next to him since it was the only spot left. Being this close to Remus still somewhat unnerved me but at least I had gotten better at hiding it. "Yes, I did." I couldn't keep the surprise out of my voice.

"Don't sound so surprised," Sirius leaned back in his chair and I knew what was coming, "girls always enjoy themselves around me. They can't help it. My charm is irresistible."

I held back my laughter so I could form my response. Over the break I had learned that in order to be friends with Sirius, you had to look past his big ego and into the humor behind it. "If you recall Sirius…that so called charm of yours didn't work with me," I rubbed my nose as if it itched.

Sirius slumped in his chair, the smile falling from his face in memory of what had happened. Apparently he didn't like to think about it. Of course…who could blame him?

The other boys looked on with dying curiosity before James burst out, "That's it! What happened?"

"Nothing much," Sirius mumbled not wanting to admit it.

The boys, knowing Sirius was protecting his fragile ego, turned to look at me, hoping I wouldn't care about wounding his ego further.

"Nothing much," I paused and looked at the disappointed faces before continuing, "He just tried to kiss me. Apparently he thought that playing in the snow counted as a date."

"You tried to kiss Sam?" Remus asked turning towards Sirius.

"As in you didn't succeed?" James finished for him.

"No, he did kiss me. He just didn't get the reaction he thought he would."

Sirius was now sulking in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. He obviously didn't like the turn of the conversation but the boys continued to look at me, wanting to hear about how I reacted.

I didn't answer right away. I hadn't intended the conversation to go this far and I hadn't been planning on telling the story in front of Sirius. His ego had been damaged enough when I punched him in the nose, effectively breaking it.

"I hope you punched him." Remus said, adding humor in his voice but there was still something underlining his words that I couldn't quite place.

I dismissed any thoughts of his reaction and let the smile grow on my face, giving him my answer.

"You did punch him!" James exclaimed. He sobered up and looked at his best mate, "I'm sorry Sirius, but if you try to kiss a girl without her permission, you're likely to get slugged…especially if it's a girl like Sam."

Sirius was still sulking so I decided to change the subject. "That wasn't our whole break you know. We spent most of out time exploring the castle…"

Sirius perked up immediately and interrupted me, "We found more secret passageways, old classrooms and get this," he paused for dramatic effect, "an old storage room and it's totally empty!"

"A room we can store our supplies! Are you sure that nobody uses it?" James wanted to be sure. He didn't want their secret stash to be found.

Sirius nodded his head enthusiastically, "There were cobwebs all over the place." After that James and Sirius seemed lost in their own world, already planning pranks that they could now pull due to having a secret room.

I looked at Remus who was laughing at his friends' behavior, "So, Remus…how was your Christmas?"

"Really good. I got to see my Aunt Anna. She's my Dad's sister and his best friend…well, besides Uncle Chris of course."

"Does she live far away then?" I asked realizing that I didn't know where Remus lived.

Remus nodded his head, "Switzerland. Although her job causes her to travel a lot so I guess you would call it her home base."

"What does she do?"

"She hunts vampires and werewolves."

"Isn't that dangerous?" I wasn't too shocked about the fact that these creatures were in fact real. This was, after all, a magical world. Why wouldn't they exist? But people actually hunted them?

"Yes, but so is my Aunt Anna. That's only when she's working though. When she's off, she is hilarious, a lot like my Dad," it then seemed to hit him that I haven't met his father, "except you don't know my Dad, so you'll have to take my word for it. He can be a little crazy sometimes. The two of them are like two peas in a pod but anyways, since she travels so much, I don't always get to see her."

At this point James and Sirius came back to the real world and tried to rejoin the conversation, "Who's her, Remus?" A smile spread over Sirius' face indicating what he was thinking about the girl and Remus, "a girl you saw over the holiday and a new girlfriend perhaps?"

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. Sirius would think of that instead of what it really was, seeing a family member because it was Christmas.

Remus, wanting to play along and have some fun with his friends, responded, "Maybe but my Dad would definitely not approve…and neither would Mum for that matter…and it would be illegal."

James and Sirius' mouths fell open with shock. It was easy enough to believe that Remus had met a girl over the break but someone who was that much older than him. He was only twelve. These two were such gullible idiots, which was probably why Remus was having fun with this.

Remus, keeping a straight face continued, "And not to mention disgusting. She's my aunt."

At seeing the looks on James and Sirius' faces, I couldn't hold back any longer. I burst out laughing. I admit I don't know Remus very well…very little in fact, but if this was something to go by, he was hilarious. If his father could be a little crazy, Remus must have inherited some of that craziness.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

It had been a week since second term started and I was still on pins and needles, waiting for Sam's payback. But even though I knew Sam was seriously pissed at me, she couldn't help but glare at me every time she looked my way, she had yet to do anything. Not even tripping me in the hallway. It was making me seriously paranoid.

"Oh thank goodness it's Friday," Robin collapsed onto my bed, pushing aside the stuff I was finally able to unpack, "Is it just me or did they give us enough homework to make up for the Christmas break?"

"It's like they hold it against us for having a break," Sam kicked off her shoes before throwing herself across Lily's bed, "I'm not even sure I'll be done with it all by Monday."

"If we work all weekend, we might get it done," Lily removed her school robes, undoing her tie as she sat down at the head of the bed, just a few feet away from Sam's head, "Hollie," she looked over at me, "What is all that?"

"Oh!" I laughed at the wrapped packages strewn on one side of my bed, "Christmas gifts."

I placed the biggest one right on top of Robin's stomach before heading across the room and handing Lily and Sam each a wrapped gift.

"I thought I asked for an arrow," Robin muttered as she sat up, her hands around the awkward looking package, "Shouldn't it be smaller than this?"

"Wait until you open it," I grinned at her as I went back to unpacking my own gifts, both birthday and Christmas, wanting to find special places for them.

"Holy crap!"

We all laughed as we looked over at Robin who was holding a light brown deer hide quiver filled with pewter tipped arrows that ended in golden feathers placed there for aerodynamic purposes.

She pulled out an arrow, touching the tip with her thumb, a gasp escaping her at the sudden prick.

"Be careful," I smiled at her as I placed a picture frame on my side table, "Uncle Jack doesn't believe in making display arrows…in other words, none of them are blunt."

"All you need is a bow now, Robin," Lily called out as she opened her gift, pulling out a narrow wooden box with carved designs, "This is beautiful, Hollie. Thank you."

"Uncle Jack's brother made it for me when I asked him," I smiled at her as I walked over, pointing out the designs, "I told him your name's Lily so if you notice, these are lilies…and he carved your name right in the center in script."

"It's gorgeous," Lily ran her fingers over the designs, "You'll have to send him a thank you note for me."

"Open it."

"There's more," Lily glanced at me as I laughed.

"Of course. You asked for something from Hawaii, remember?"

Lily shook her head as she carefully opened the lid, a gasp escaping her, "Hollie! This is too much."

"No it's not," I shrugged as I moved to lean against Lily's side table, "They actually make them by the dozen. I saw it and knew you would love it."

Lily turned the box to show Robin and Sam, both exclaiming at the dark jade tear shaped pendant suspended from a thin silver chain, "Oh Lily! It matches your eyes."

"That's why I got that one," I smiled as she stood up and hugged me, pulling away and taking my right hand in gratitude.

"Thank you Hollie," Lily looked down at my wrist, "That's a beautiful bracelet. Did James give it to you for Christmas?"

"Actually, no," I grinned as I moved my wrist so both Robin and Sam could see the little hearts linked together with the small diamond, "Remus gave it to me for my birthday…well, for the last three birthdays he missed."

Robin reached out to touch the hearts, her blue eyes confused, "I thought you were dating James."

"I am," I cocked my head, wondering why Robin would make such a comment, "Why did you say that?"

"Because that's the kind of gift a boyfriend gives, not a best friend," Sam answered, her eyes trained on the bracelet, her face showing some emotion I couldn't quite place…was she jealous?

"Remus is more than just a best friend," I looked away from Sam, wanting to make sure she understood that when it came to her, Remus was out of bounds.

"He's…well…someday I'll have to explain what our fathers did when we were just babies. Mother and Aunt Kat call it stupid…Dad and Uncle Matt call it brilliant. Remus and I…well…it's just the way things have always been."

"Umph," Sam pushed herself up to sit cross legged in the middle of the bed, the wrapped gift I had given her still sitting next to her, untouched.

"You haven't opened your gift yet, Sam," Robin pointed it out, Lily turning to look at her as Sam stared at me with suspicion.

"Nothing's going to come out and bite you," I muttered darkly as I walked back to my side of the room, "Besides, mother wrapped them all."

Sam took the squared shape box and pulled off the wrapper, still a little apprehensive about opening the box. After a few seconds of staring at the plain cardboard box, she finally opened the lid, her eyes going wide at what was inside.

"How did you know?"

"You always do your homework with them," I shrugged as I pulled out a small leather chest from my trunk, the last gift that I had to find a place for, "I saw them and just thought you might like them since you have some pretty interesting ones already."

Sam ran her fingers over the five pens that were inside, each with their own fitted case.

"What are they made of," Lily asked as she took out one of the cases, observing the rainbow effect that the surface of the pen had when she moved it.

"That one's mother of pearl," I looked over my shoulder at them, "The other ones are onyx, turquoise, blue mica and purple quartz. I got a set of them for myself…I uh…I also collect Muggle pens."

"Well, what do you know," Robin grinned at me as she returned to my bed, picking up her quiver and hugging it to herself, "You two do have something in common after all."

"You mean, aside from an unhealthy need to get revenge," Lily teased right along with Robin, handing the mother of pearl pen back to Sam, "What in the world is that?"

I had been storing the small leather chest into one of the shelves in my wardrobe but stopped, looking over my shoulder to see all three of them staring at me. I wasn't planning on showing them this one gift but since Lily had pointed it out, I thought it rude not to answer her question.

Pulling out the chest, I placed it upright on the floor, sitting down in front of it cross legged, all three of them moving to kneel around it. Placing my thumb in the middle of the seam, the latches sprung open by themselves.

"Woa," Robin reached out to touch one of the latches, "How did you do that?"

"It's a print release chest," I looked at them and smiled at their confused looks, "It will only open for one person, the one with the print that it's memorized. In this case, mine. These are great to store stuff that you don't want anybody else to find. It won't open any other way."

"Not even with magic," Lily turned to look at me before turning her eyes back on the chest.

"Nope. These are really rare and are usually family heirlooms. That's how I ended up with it. Dad gave it to me. It's been passed down the Belledrex family for the past eight generations."

"Where can you find one of these," Robin asked, thinking of the things she would like to hide from others.

"They don't make them anymore," I smiled at her as I grasped opposite corners of the chest, sliding them open to reveal what was inside.

"What is that?"

"It's used to store things," I reached out to touch the ruins carved into the stone, "Things that you don't want to carry around with you."

"What kind of things," Sam asked as she looked at the opposite side of the chest, taking in the dozen of small glass vials with tiny crystal stoppers.

I looked over my shoulder at her, knowing she would be the only one that understood why my Father had given me this for Christmas, "Thoughts…memories…even dreams."

"Ah," Sam reached out and carefully removed one of the five glass vials that were already filled with a silvery substance, "I see."

I took the vial away but not before she had read the date and initials I had written on the small label taped around it –_Sep. 11, 1971. S. P. & R. L._

"I don't get it," Robin was still staring at the small stone basin, "You can actually remove your thoughts and memories and store them?"

"Yes," I closed the chest, the latches locking automatically, "Except you need a Pensive if you want to view them because once you remove them, you no longer have them in your head."

"Is that why you have the glass vials," Lily pushed herself off the floor, rubbing her knees before heading to her bed, "To store the memories and such?"

"Yes," I stood up, picking up the chest and replacing it on the shelf inside my wardrobe, "That way I don't have to put them back in my head or lose them."

"Why would your Dad give you this," Robin picked up her quiver and slung it over her shoulder before heading towards her wardrobe, "What's in your head that you would want to not have there?"

"Probably memories of Sirius hitting on her," Sam muttered as she grabbed her pens from Lily's bed, opening a drawer inside her wardrobe where she kept her other pens along with her spiral notebooks, "I mean, wouldn't you want to erase memories of such an arrogant prat making a pass at you? I know I would."

Lily and Robin laughed as I shut the wardrobe doors, grabbing the rest of the picture frames and quickly hanging them on the wall beside my bed, throwing a grateful look over my shoulder at Sam, wondering why she was being nice.

Maybe she was trying to lull me into a false sense of security…maybe she wanted me to think she had ran out of ideas for payback…maybe she was just waiting for the right moment to strike…man, I really was getting paranoid.

She needed to hurry up and get her revenge; otherwise, I was going to be jumping at shadows soon.

_

* * *

_

James' POV

"So did you get anything for Hollie for Christmas?"

I turned to look at Sirius, wanting to laugh at the mutinous look on his face. I knew he wasn't happy about me and Hollie dating and although I only had friendly feelings towards Hollie, I found it amusing to watch Sirius' behavior whenever she and I were together.

"Of course," I shrugged as I went back to unpacking the trunk that I hadn't been able to get to during the week. The professors seemed to have found a way to keep all the students busy twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, "It would look kind of bad if her own boyfriend didn't get her anything wouldn't it?"

I chuckled at Sirius' grimace before pulling out a wrapped box I had meant to give to Hollie at the New Year's Eve party her parents had hosted. Unfortunately for me, I had forgotten to grab the gift before we left because I was too busy pulling a prank on my sister. Good thing we were going to hang out and play Exploding Snap later today.

"Do you two snog?"

I grinned at Sirius as I tossed him a haphazardly wrapped parcel, "Oh yeah. Loads of times. That's yours by the way. I forgot to have Winkle bring it on Christmas day."

I was such a liar. Hollie and I simply held hands whenever we were around the others, and when we were alone, we just talked and planned pranks. I had yet to try to kiss her and she had yet to let me know she was expecting me too. She occasionally leaned against me when she was reading a book but she tended to act more lovey-dovey with Remus than with me but I just couldn't resist yanking Sirius' chain a bit.

"What are you two talking about?"

I looked up as Remus and Peter walked into the room, both looking exhausted, "Sirius wishing he could be dating Hollie instead of her dating me."

Remus scoffed as he dropped his book bag on the chair next to his bed, "As if that will ever happen. Hollie would rather cut off her right arm than date Sirius. Sorry mate."

"That's what I was telling him," I exclaimed as I pulled out a cloak Father had given me for Christmas.

Sirius opened his mouth to retort but chocked on his own words as he noticed the cloak, "Shit James! Is that an Invisibility Cloak?"

Remus and Peter moved quickly to join me by my trunk, both reaching out to touch the liquid fabric, "Yes it is. Dad gave it to me for Christmas."

"Holy fuck," Sirius dropped his box of Bertie Bott beans on his bed, jumping up to join us, reaching out to take the cloak from my hands, "These things are really rare."

"That one's been passed down from father to son for generations," I couldn't help the cocky grin that spread across my face, "Imagine the places we can go to at night with this cloak."

"Oh man," Sirius grinned at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief, "The things we can get away with."

"As if we don't get away with enough already," Remus muttered as he returned to his bed, falling back on it in a display of exhaustion.

"We can do some serious exploration of the castle, any time of the day or night," Peter exclaimed as he continued to touch the cloak in a greedy manner. I smiled at him before taking the cloak from Sirius, folding it over my arm.

"Yeah, we can," I nodded before looking at my watch, "Ah hell! I have to meet Hollie downstairs in five minutes. Where the hell did I put her gift? There it is. Oh snap! I got an idea. You three better not make any noise and tip her off."

I grabbed the wrapped parcel from the floor and quickly threw the cloak over myself, laughing at Peter's gasp as I disappeared. I walked out of the dorm room and headed downstairs, seeing that Hollie was already sitting on the couch with a book in her hand, waiting for me. I could hear the guys following me and I turned to whisper at them.

"Stay in the balcony. You'll be able to see everything from there. And make sure you keep your mouths shut."

_

* * *

_

Hollie's POV

I flipped through the book Reba had given me for Christmas, wondering if a book titled _The Hobbit_ would be interesting enough to read from start to finish, considering that it was thicker than some of my school books.

Looking over my shoulder to see if James was coming since we had a date to play Exploding Snap and exchange gifts, I shrugged as I saw that no one was coming down the stairs. The other girls had headed to the library and more than likely, James had forgotten about our "date" for the sake of doing a prank or something of that nature with the guys.

Opening the book to chapter one, I snuggled deeper into the couch, getting comfortable.

Several pages into the book, I felt something brush against the back of my neck. I turned, expecting to see James standing behind me but instead saw nothing. I was still the only one sitting in the common room.

Shrugging, I returned to my book, quickly finding where I had left off. Another few pages into the book, something pulled at my hair, which was caught up in a ponytail.

I quickly turned, frowning at the empty room. Pushing myself up to my knees, I looked behind the couch, just incase someone was hiding there, but found no one. Shaking my head, I returned to my book, wondering if Reba had put some sort of spell on it as a joke. I shook my head, immediately realizing that she wouldn't do that to a gift.

Another few pages into the book, I felt something brush against my neck again.

"What the hell?"

I felt a combination of anger and fear as I got up from the couch, looking around the common room but still unable to locate the culprit. I cocked my head as I heard muffled laughter, my eyes narrowing as I realized that, more than likely, the guys were behind this.

Sitting back down, I picked up my book again, wondering if I was just being paranoid. Even the guys, already known as master pranksters, couldn't become invisible.

Two pages later, I felt a tug against the bright blue ribbon that held my hair back. Turning quickly, I saw the ribbon flutter to the ground, my hair falling around my shoulders, no one in the common room but this time, the muffled laughter was a little louder.

"James Harold Potter," I growled as I continued to look around, checking behind the couch once more, "I don't know how the hell you are doing this, but I know it's you. Now come out where I can see you."

I stood there, feeling like an idiot as time passed and no one appeared. Slowly picking up my book, I sat back down, tucking my legs under me just incase I needed to move fast.

I wasn't even done with the page when I felt another tug on my hair. Turning quickly, I launched myself over the couch, hitting something solid and bringing it down with me.

"Holy shit Hollie! That hurt."

"I knew it!" I moved my hands over the invisible solidness, closing my hands on what felt like liquid fabric. Tugging, I saw James lying on the floor, rubbing his ribs as he sat up, a shameless grin on his face.

"An Invisibility Cloak," I stared at the cloak in my hands before looking up at James.

"Dad gave it to me for Christmas."

"Is your father crazy," I couldn't help but exclaim as I stood up, holding out the cloak to watch the light filter through it, "It's not as if you need any help with getting into trouble."

"Well, Father seems to think that as long as I don't get expelled, there's no harm with having a little fun," James pushed himself up onto his feet, bending down to pick up a wrapped parcel before thrusting it at me, "Here's your Christmas gift."

"Oh," I handed him the cloak as I took the box, walking around the couch to grab the one I had gotten him from the coffee table, "Here's yours. By the way, guys, you can leave now. You're not invited to this date."

"Ah crap," Sirius muttered as he stood up, looking over the balcony, quickly followed by Remus and Peter, "By the way, Hollie, I meant to thank you for my Christmas gift."

"I didn't get you a gift," I stared up at him with some confusion and a lot of disdain.

"I beg to differ," Sirius grinned down at me as he ran a hand through his shaggy hair, "You kept me well entertained with that riddle you left behind. Thank you for that."

I couldn't help but laugh as I realized what Sirius was talking about, "No problem. Although it wasn't meant specifically for you."

"I'm just going to assume it was," Sirius winked at me before turning away, walking back to the dorm room, Peter following behind him.

"What is he talking about," Remus leaned against the balcony, looking down at me with a slightly knowing look.

"I played a prank on Sam."

"But you weren't even here," James jumped over the back of the couch before sitting cross legged in it, knocking my book to the floor.

"That was the beauty of it," I smiled over my shoulder at him before turning back to Remus, "Do you want to get together later to do some Astronomy homework?"

"Sure," Remus shrugged as he pushed himself away from the balcony, "No one's better at Astronomy than you. I'll see you guys later. James?"

"What?"

"Behave yourself…otherwise, I'll have to hurt you."

James laughed as Remus walked back to the guys' dorm room. I turned around and sat next to him, giving him a stern look.

"He's serious."

"I know," James nudged my shoulder with his, "Are you going to open your gift?"

"Oh, right," I ripped back the paper, opening the box to reveal a maroon tinted leather book. I flipped it open to find blank pages.

"It's a secret journal," James grinned at me as he ran his hand through his hair, messing it up more, as if it were possible, "Nobody but you can read what you write in it. Do you like it?"

"Yeah," I smiled at him then looked back down at the journal, quickly recalling the one that I had tucked under my mattress up in my room, "Thank you."

"No problem," James ripped the wrapping off his gift, "I saw it and thought of you. Girls like to keep journals and such, so I knew you would like it."

"Right," I placed the journal on top of my book and leaned back. I wanted to see his face once he opened the box and saw what was inside.

"Oh wow," James pulled out an 8" x 11" poster print of one of his favorite Quidditch players, his eyes immediately moving to the right hand lower corner, "Is that his autograph?"

"Yep," I grinned at the look on his face, "Believe it or not, we ran into him at a restaurant in Hawaii. Mother wasn't happy with me, but I knew that you would love it. He was real nice about it. I asked him to sign the menu, but instead, he pulled out the print and signed it for me."

"Oh man, this is awesome," James leaned over to hug me, dropping a chaste kiss on my mouth. I pulled back, my right hand automatically reaching to touch my lips, surprised that we had just had our first kiss.

James blushed as he sat back, his eyes dropping to my wrist, "That's a nice bracelet."

"Remus gave it to me," I shrugged as I looked down at the bracelet, watching the tiny rainbows caused by the firelight hitting the diamond, "For my birthday."

"Your birthday," James stuck his hand into his pocket, pulling out a small leather pouch, "Sorry I forgot to get you something on your actual birthday but I did bring you something. Better late than never, right?"

"Right," I smiled as I took the pouch he handed me, pulling the drawstrings to open it. A ring fell onto my palm. Turning it over, I saw that it was made of little flowers connected into a circle, the petals a deep blue color. Putting the ring on my middle finger of my left hand, I watched in fascination as the deep blue became lighter until it turned into a purple, followed by a light green.

"It's called a mood ring," James grinned at me as I looked up at him, "I found it in a Muggle shop. It's supposed to change colors according to your mood. There's a list inside the bag that lets you know which color is assigned to what mood."

"Can it really do that," I looked back down at the ring, watching the light green turn yellow.

"I think the changing colors are due to the temperature of your body, but I'm not sure. Do you like it?"

"Yes," I replied honestly this time, finding it fascinating to watch the changing colors, "Thanks James."

"No problem," James turned back to his gift, watching the moving player zipping in and out of the picture.

I looked up at him, smiling as I realized that maybe, just maybe, it was possible to actually fall for James. I wasn't falling for him right now, in fact, I was still slightly irritated for that Invisibility Cloak prank, but he wasn't such a bad guy.

I guess I would just have to wait.

* * *

**AN: **Hey! Thanks for reading the chapter. We hope you enjoyed it because we sure enjoyed writing it. We're so happy that we finished this chapter so soon after the last one and already have a new update. Hopefully we'll finish the next chapter soon and it can be posted as well.


	14. Revelations and Changes

******Disclaimer:** All characters except for Hollie, Sam, and other non-Rowling characters belong to J.K. Rowling and we are not (unfortunately) getting any profit for this story.

* * *

**Revelations and Changes**

The excitement can be felt in the air as the multitude of Hogwarts' students walked across the castle grounds towards the stands that surrounded the Quidditch pitch. It was the first game of the second term, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.

It was clear to all that if Gryffindor won the game, they were closer to winning the Quidditch cup…once they beat Hufflepuff of course. And because it was known to all that Slytherin were dirty players, the other two houses were cheering Gryffindor on.

Of course, for this first game between the two houses that seemed to have deep rooted animosity towards each other that wasn't found in the other two houses, the Gryffindor first years, specifically James and Sirius, had planned a little trick…

_James' POV_

I stood next to Hollie, Sirius next to me and Remus on Hollie's other side as we waited for the players to walk out to the pitch. The excitement in the air was contagious and I couldn't help but move around, jostling the people around me.

"Will you stand still," Hollie turned to hiss at me, straightening up and stepping away from Remus. I had bumped her hard and right into his arms, not that it would bother either one of them.

Most twelve year olds had an aversion to the opposite sex, which was slightly evident between Hollie and I since we didn't do much aside from hold hands and we both felt awkward about the kiss we had shared when we exchanged gifts two months ago, but not so with Hollie and Remus.

Strangely enough, Remus and Hollie had no problem with touching each other and showing affection (as friends supposedly) in a physical way. I mean, yeah, it's not like they snog or anything like that, but they seemed to be okay with leaning against each other, cuddling together, and other such things.

"Sorry," I grinned at her as I reached out and grabbed her hand, just because I could…and, of course, it made Sirius look like he was sucking on a lemon.

The noise level of the crowd rose to a roar as Madam Hooch brought out the Quidditch chest to the middle of the pitch.

I felt a knee hit me in the middle of the shoulder blades and turned to look up to the tier a couple of feet above the one we were standing on.

"Sorry," Lily muttered as she shifted in the small space she was standing on, effectively hitting me with her knee again, "Again, sorry."

"Why don't you hop down here and join us," I smiled at her then turned to look at Sam and Robin, "We can squeeze in…besides, there's no better view than right up against the barricade."

Sam grabbed Sirius' shoulder for balance as she jumped down, pushing me into Hollie who in turn stumbled into Remus, "Thanks James. I definitely prefer the view from down here."

Sirius moved to make her a space in front of him. I shook my head as I watched Sam give him a friendly smile, amazed at the budding friendship between those two. That had definitely been a surprise.

Sirius helped Robin down, elbowing me so I could scoot back to let her stand next to Sam. Hollie shook her head as she let go of my hand, moving to stand next to Robin and in front of Remus, looking over her shoulder at Lily.

"Coming Lily?" Hollie called out, leaning against the barricade, the breeze blowing her curls around her shoulders.

"I don't think there's room," Lily looked slightly bothered and I couldn't help but wonder if it was due to the lack of space between us all.

"Sure there is," I grinned at her again, wondering why she frowned at me instead of smiling back, "You can stand next to me. You're taller than Robin so you can see over her head."

Lily rolled her eyes before she stepped down next to me, ignoring my helping hand. I kept my eyes on her, admiring the deep shade of her red hair and her profile. She was a very pretty girl, more so than Hollie. Although I would never admit that to Hollie…not unless I want to walk around with a limp for a month.

"They're coming out!" Sam yelled out, cheering along with all the other students.

The game started, the players moving quickly, Gryffindor scoring the first goal within minutes.

It was an intense game with some bloody noses, a couple of broken bones, and many dirty fouls. But what sucked the most was that the Slytherin seeker was tagging after ours, giving him little room to move as he looked around for the snitch.

The score was sixty to forty Gryffindor and I knew it was time for us to add on the one hundred fifty points that came with catching the snitch.

Elbowing Sirius, I nodded at him before looking up at the seeker, who was across the pitch and about sixty feet up in the air, the Slytherin hovering right below him.

Looking over Lily's head, I nodded at Remus, who smiled as he nudged Hollie. She looked over her shoulder at me, a grin on her face before turning to look back at the players.

"THERE IT IS!" Remus, Hollie, Sirius and I yelled out at the same time, pointing towards the bottom of the Slytherin goal post along with _**all**_ the other Gryffindor students.

The laughter was loud as the Slytherin seeker streaked down to the goalposts, our seeker zipping to the opposite side of the pitch, having spotted the snitch.

The cheering was thunderous as the snitch was caught, bringing the game to an end, the final score one eighty to forty Gryffindor.

"That was awesome!" Sirius exclaimed as we all pushed and shoved our way out of the stands and down the wooden staircases.

"I can't believe it worked," Remus was behind me, his hand around Hollie's arm to keep her from falling and getting trampled.

"What an idiot!" Hollie laughed as we finally hit flat ground, "He just rushed off without even checking. Not very smart, is he?"

"That's what I was counting on," I grinned as I reached out and took her hand, pulling her away from Remus. I wasn't jealous but I just didn't think it was right, what with her dating me, "Come on Hollie. I'll give you a piggy back ride."

"If you drop me," Hollie grabbed my shoulders and jumped on, "I will kick you."

We all walked towards the castle, joking and teasing each other, being friendly to each other, even Hollie and Sam. I think it was something about Quidditch that made them willing to be friendlier towards each other but I couldn't be sure. I did know Hollie was a little edgy that Sam hadn't done her revenge prank but, who knows? Maybe Sam decided to let it go for the sake of stopping the prank war.

I really hoped not. Those two were as entertaining as Sirius was whenever he saw me with Hollie.

"I'll see you guys later," Lily waved at us before she jogged ahead, veering a bit to the left as she approached a tall boy with shoulder length hair that looked greasy even from this distance.

"Who's Lily talking to?" I let go of Hollie's legs and she fell to the ground, landing on her feet, which was good news for me. She still punched me in the arm hard enough to hurt "Ouch!"

"Isn't that the Slytherin that sits next to us in Potions, Holls," Remus slung his arm over Hollie's shoulders, tucking his other hand into his pant's pocket.

"Yeah…" Hollie frowned as she narrowed her eyes, "Sivirius Snape or something like that."

"Severus Snape," Robin said softly, walking beside a quiet Sam, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You know him," I turned to look at her before looking back at Lily and the Snape guy.

"No, but I know he and Lily are friends. She told me they met about a year ago. He lives in her neighborhood."

"I don't think its right, you know," Sirius frowned as he too looked at Lily and Snape as they entered the castle ahead of us, "A Gryffindor girl being friends with a Slytherin boy."

"Why not," Sam turned to look at Sirius before turning to look at my face, "James, you okay? You look a little red."

"I don't like it," I grumbled as I shoved my hands into my pants' pockets, "Lily and him together, I mean."

"They're just friends," Robin murmured, shrugging when she noticed that neither I nor Sirius believed her.

"You sound jealous, James," Remus looked over Hollie's head at me, a smile on his face.

"Well…it's just…" I turned to look at Hollie, not liking the look on her black eyes. She didn't look mad or upset at the fact that I wasn't denying Remus' comment. She looked…amused. As if she was enjoying a joke at my expense.

"Are we still cool, Holls," I reached out to tug at a curl, "Friends, right?"

"Of course," Hollie smiled up at me, stepping closer into Remus, "But I will have to beat you for posterity's sake. You do understand, right?"

"Yeah…as long as you don't permanently maim me," I cuffed her gently on the jaw before turning back to look at Lily and the Snape kid, just several feet away.

"I won't," Hollie laughed as she looked at me looking at Lily, "By the way, Lily thinks you're an annoying git."

They all laughed as I turned shocked eyes towards Hollie, not sure if I should believe her.

"Hey Holls," Sirius moved in between Hollie and me, "Now that you and James aren't together, maybe you and I can go on a date."

"For the fifth time today Sirius," Hollie growled as Remus pulled her several steps away from Sirius, probably for Sirius' own good. He had been bugging Hollie for a date more than usual, "No."

"I'd lay off if I were you," Remus said over her head, grinning at Sirius, "She's very close to snapping."

"Maybe then she'll realize we're meant to be together," Sirius reached out to touch Hollie's cheek, pulling his hand back when she bit him "Ouch."

Remus laughed as he grabbed her around the waist and moved her to his other side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders again and keeping himself between her and Sirius.

Sirius gave his friend a dark glare before turning away, deciding that with Remus around as bodyguard, he wasn't going to get anywhere.

* * *

_Lily's POV_

"Hey Sev," I jogged up beside him, my breathing a little heavy. Maybe Hollie had something going with the morning jogging. I wasn't out of shape but boy, did that short jog stretch my breathing limit.

"Hey Lil," Severus Snape, Sev to me, turned to smile at me, his dark eyes twinkling the way they did every time they looked at me. I knew he had a crush on me and although I didn't feel the same way, I still wanted him as a friend. I liked Sev…unlike that brainless annoying git Potter. I couldn't stand him.

"How are classes going?"

"Alright," Sev shrugged his shoulders, his hair falling in hanks around his sallow face, "Nothing all that hard. You? Getting used to being a witch?"

"It's the best thing ever," I laughed as we entered the castle, walking down one hall then another without any particular destination, "I love being a witch."

"I knew you would," Sev moved to sit by a bench beside one of the inside open courtyards, "You're a natural."

"Thanks," I sat next to him, crossing my ankles as I leaned against the wall just as my Gryffindor friends walked by.

"Hey guys," I called out with a smile, surprise etched on my face when only Robin, Sam, Hollie, Remus and Peter responded. Sirius and James were too busy glaring at Sev.

We sat there and watched them continue down the hallway, James and Sirius muttering to each other, shooting glares at us over their shoulders.

"What's the name of the girl that sits on the table next to mine in Potions," Sev looked away from the Gryffindor crowd and turned his eyes towards me.

"You know her name Sev," I grinned up at him, "She makes a mess of almost every potion we have in class."

"I thought she was dating Potter," Sev shrugged as he recalled the many catastrophes caused in Potions class…if not by Hollie, then by that brainless Pettigrew kid.

"She is. Why did you ask about her?" I gave him a teasing smile, "Do you like Hollie, Sev?"

"No, I like the smart ones," Sev shook his head as he leaned against the wall beside me, "It's just that I've heard people talking…seems like some are unsure if she's dating Potter or Lupin."

"Listening to gossip Sev?" I shook my head as I looked down the empty hallway before turning back to Sev, "They act like a couple but they insist they're just friends. That they've been friends since they were babies and that's why they act that way. Like brother and sister…and by the way, Hollie's smart."

"I don't think brothers and sisters act that way," Sev gave me a crooked grin as he pushed back his hair from his face, ignoring my last comment, "Mothers wouldn't be all that happy if they did."

I laughed as I pushed myself away from the wall, "Yeah. I won't be surprised if they ever do end up together. They just seem to be…connected somehow. Like they know what the other is thinking and feeling…it's kind of weird."

"Yeah," Sev looked up at me as I stood up, "Are you leaving already?"

"Yeah," I shrugged, giving him a regretful look, "I have to do my Astronomy homework. Hollie's going to help me since she's really good at it."

"Well that's a relief," Sev stood up next to me, "She's absolutely hopeless in Potions I was starting to wonder if she was good at anything."

"That's not nice Sev," I shook my head as I walked down the hallway, Sev following next to me, "She's actually got top marks in all her classes."

"Except for Potions," Sev smiled meanly as he looked down at me, "She's failing that."

"How do you know that," I glanced up at him, uneasy at the look of amusement at Hollie's expense.

"Slughorn let it slip at one of those dinners he throws for those students with potential," he looked down at me, his eyebrows lowering over his dark eyes, "I've heard he's invited you a couple of times but you haven't come. Why?"

"I don't know," I shrugged as I turned the corner towards the staircase that lead to the floor where my dorm was "It just seems like favoritism to me. He's invited Sam too, since she's great at potions, but she won't go either."

"Well, they're actually kind of interesting," Sev held out his hand, taking my arm in his, "Give it some thought. You'll have fun. Not to mention, we'll be able to hang out."

I nodded, pulling away and smiling at him before I turned and climbed up the stairs, heading to the Gryffindor common room. Maybe Sev was right. Maybe Slughorn was investing his time on those who had potential…

But shouldn't he, as a professor, invest himself on all his students?

It was definitely something to think about.

* * *

_Sam's POV_

'That's it I give up!" I slammed my Astronomy book closed.

Robin looked up from her bed, "give up on what?"

"This Astronomy crap! I just can't concentrate."

"I hear you. I don't get it either."

I took my papers, stuck them in my book and placed it on my bedside table. With my bed free of homework, I was able to stretch out and my brain freely wondered. Remus Lupin. Why he was in my thoughts I didn't know. We weren't exactly friends…more like acquaintances. Someone I would like to get to know better but part of me wondered why. Was it because he seemed like a fun person to hang out with or was it because I had that stupid vision of us getting married? Professor Dumbledore had told us that just because we had a vision did not mean it was going to happen. It simply meant that it was a possibility.

I didn't know for sure I was marrying Remus but part of me couldn't help but wonder. I shook the thoughts from my head not wanting to think about that. Why should it matter if I had a vision of marrying him or someone else for that matter? If what Dumbledore said was true, the fact that I had the vision didn't mean anything. I shouldn't marry someone just because I saw it happen. For goodness sake, I never even cared about having a boyfriend so why would one vision change that? Besides, a simple friendship with Remus was almost impossible due to his friendship with Hollie. The best thing for me to do was to get that boy out of my head.

"I'm heading downstairs," I told Robin as I grabbed _The Fellowship of the Ring_, "I need a change in scenery."

She looked up from her work, "I might join you soon. This work is driving me insane."

I closed the door to our room and headed down the stairs.

* * *

_Remus' POV_

I reached out and hugged Hollie, dropping a kiss on the top of her head before grabbing my finished star chart, "Thanks Holls. You're a life saver."

"Oh please," Hollie pushed me away, giving me _that_ look, "You would have gotten it done by yourself, eventually."

"True," I shrugged, standing up with my Astronomy stuff in one hand, grabbing my book bag by the strap from the floor with the other, "But having you help me cuts the time it would have taken me doing it alone in about half. Anyway, I'll see you around."

I headed towards the boys' dorm, looking over my shoulder as the portrait opened and Lily climbed through, "Hey Lily."

"Hey Remus," Lily smiled at me before she turned to Hollie, "I'm going to go grab my stuff. Thanks for helping me with this Astronomy project, Hollie."

"No problem Lily," Hollie smiled up at her but I could tell she had something on her mind she wanted to talk to Lily about…and somehow I knew it was about Lily's friend –Severus Snape.

"Hey Remus."

I turned my eyes away from Hollie and Lily to watch Sam step off the bottom step of the staircase that I knew led to the girls' room. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, with her dark blonde hair and big brown eyes that reminded me of those lazy Susans mum grew in her garden. Not to mention her friendly smile with that tiny dimple in her cheek that just got deeper as her smile grew.

I opened my mouth to say hello but just at that moment I felt Hollie's eyes on me and knew that it wouldn't be a good idea. So I just gave her a friendly smile before turning away and quickly heading up the staircase before Hollie said or did something to make me look bad in front of Sam.

I was trying hard, really I was, because I knew Hollie wouldn't be too happy about it, but everything about Sam was starting to fascinate me. I just wish I could get to know her more, become her friend. Who knows? Maybe someday…

But as long as Hollie didn't like Sam, then I had no choice but to stay away.

At times like these, being Hollie's ever loyal best friend could be a burden instead of a blessing…

* * *

_Sam's POV_

I watched Remus disappear up the stairs and wondered what just happened. He hadn't been rude exactly but was less polite than he usually was. If I said hello, he always responded but today he simply smiled and turned away. Actually, it looked like he opened his mouth to speak and changed his mind. For Remus, that was very rude.

I sighed. This was the very reason why I came downstairs to read, to get any thoughts of him out of my head. Go figure that I pass him while walking into the common room. Although, I shouldn't be all that surprised because he always seemed to be sitting near me in classes or the Great Hall. Maybe he was stalking me…or maybe I was just paranoid. After all, there weren't _that_ many Gryffindor first-years. It's not if I could go the whole day without seeing one of them.

Still quite confused about Remus' actions and my own thoughts, I turned toward the chairs. I tried to ignore Hollie and chose one to curl up in and opened me book.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

I watched Remus go up the stairs before turning to Sam, noticing the disgruntled look she gave me before she headed to one of the armchairs, book in hand.

'That's right,' I thought to myself before settling back in the couch with my Astronomy book in hand, 'Remus is mine. And don't you forget that.'

I knew I was being possessive and that not letting Remus be friends with Sam, when he so obviously wanted to, was a little mean spirited, but I couldn't help it. Remus and I had been inseparable since he was one month old and I was barely a few days old. The three years apart from each other had given us a healthy dose of thinking as individuals instead of as a unit, but it had left me with an anxious feeling at the idea of losing Remus…in any way.

I didn't mind sharing him with the guys, or Lily and Robin for that matter, but Sam…it just made me squeamish. Because I knew that if they became friends, then there was a possibility that there might be more…and I couldn't let that happen.

Even if I had to resort to reminding Remus that our fathers' would rather have him marry me than some other girl.

I narrowed my eyes as I kept looking at Sam, wondering what Remus could possibly see in her. She dressed like a boy, and although I had to admit she was kind of pretty, she just didn't act like a girl. So what about her could possibly fascinate him?

* * *

_Robin's POV_

I looked up from the star chart I was working on while lying on my stomach in the middle of my bed to watch Lily come into the room.

"Hey Robin," Lily grinned at me before grabbing her book bag from the inside of her wardrobe and removing her coat, scarf and hat. Lily was one of the neatest people I've ever met…I just didn't get it.

The inside of my wardrobe looked like some tornado had gone through it recently and I knew the reason I had difficulty in finding my socks was because they somehow all ended up under my bed…or Hollie's, since her bed was next to mine.

"What ya doing," Lily walked over to my bed, book bag over her shoulder, her red hair, which I was slightly envious of, braided to the side and resting on her left shoulder.

"This stupid star chart," I muttered as I looked back at my work, flipping through my Astronomy book for no reason at all, "How am I supposed to know where the stars will be next month? Why can't they ask me that next month then I could just look up at the sky?"

Lily laughed as she sat on the edge of my bed, looking over the mess that was my star chart…it wasn't advisable to work with ink on a soft bed. Not only did I spill about a quarter of it on my chart, but the other quarter was now staining my maroon bed spread.

"Hollie's going to help me with mine, want to come?"

"Hell yes," I exclaimed as I clambered out of my bed, unfortunately forgetting to stopper my ink bottle first, "Ah crap. There goes the rest of my ink."

Lily smiled kindly as she pulled out her wand and siphoned the ink out of my book, "Don't worry. You can borrow some of mine."

"Thanks," I grabbed everything from my bed, holding it all somewhat haphazardly in my arms as I looked around for the shoes I had kicked off before settling in bed to do the cursed star chart…I hated Astronomy, "Where are my shoes?"

Lily laughed again as she leaned over to look under my bed then Hollie's, "Here's one." She got down on one knee and grabbed the one under Hollie's bed, "Just summon the other one."

I looked around for my wand, finding it half-hiding under my pillow. Grabbing it as I juggled what I was holding in one arm, I summoned my shoe, watching in surprise as it zoomed across the room from under Sam's bed.

"Robin," Lily shook her head as I stuck my wand behind my ear before stepping into my shoes, "How did your shoe end up under Sam's bed? It's across the room from yours!"

"I don't know," I shrugged as I walked around my bed, sucking in a breath when my knee hit the edge of my trunk, "I've given up trying to figure out why my stuff ends up in strange and unlikely places. Let's go before I lose something else."

Lily laughed as she walked in front of me towards the door, probably to make sure I wouldn't fall down the stairs. I wasn't a klutz like Hollie, that girl can trip on thin air, but I did tend to forget what I was doing midway through whatever it was, which sometimes included walking, and that caused many problems.

We walked into the common room to find both Sam and Hollie there, both looking at a book, refusing to acknowledge each other. I couldn't help but shake my head as I walked around the couch and dropped everything onto the coffee table.

Having gotten to know both of them, Lily tended to hang out more with Sam than Hollie so she didn't know Hollie as well as I did, I knew that if they put aside whatever grievances they had caused the other, they would become good friends. They had so much in common it was sometimes freaky. Yet, here they were, hating each other for some reason no one but them knew.

"I invited Robin to come down," Lily sat on the armchair opposite Sam's as I collapsed on the sofa next to Hollie, "She was struggling with her star chart."

"I was not," I couldn't help but chime in, a smile on my face as I turned to look at Hollie, "I simply stated that if they wanted me to chart next month's star positions, then they should wait to ask me to do it next month."

Hollie laughed as she closed her book and set it aside, leaning forward to rummage through my pile of parchment, charts, and books on the coffee table, "Well, first things first, Robin. Stars are recorded as dots, not blobs."

"Oh, I spilled my ink," I shrugged as I kicked my shoes off, "Never do homework on your bed when working with ink."

"That's why I use my pens," Hollie and Sam said simultaneously, both turning to glare at each other before looking away.

I looked over at Lily, giving her a look I knew she would understand as she shrugged in response. It was hopeless, really, trying to get those two to like each other.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

I grimaced at what Robin had done with her star chart. Not only was it covered in blobs of ink, she had misplaced, not to mention mislabeled, at least ten of the stars that would be on the sky next month.

"Sam, have you gotten your star chart done," Lily asked as she pulled out her things from her book bag.

"No," Sam shrugged as she turned the page of the book she was reading…something about rings, "But I'll get it done."

"Why don't you bring it down," Robin looked up from her socks, her finger playing with a tiny hole where her middle toe was, "Hollie wouldn't mind helping. Would you, Hollie?"

"Oh I'm sure Hollie would mind helping me," Sam answered for me, which just made me mad. I don't know where Sam got the idea that she knew me.

"Actually, I wouldn't," I smiled at her, trying to make sure my smile looked friendly and not like a sneer, "Go and bring your stuff down. I can help all three of you at the same time."

"What about you, Holls," Robin pulled her hand away from her foot as she realized she had made the tiny hole into a large hole where her toe poked out, "You got yours done?"

"Yeah, I finished it with Remus," I ducked my head, my hair swinging down to the side so Sam couldn't see the smile on my face. I had just spontaneously decided to let Sam think there was something more than friendship between myself and my best friend.

Sam rushed out of the room, up the stairs then back down, her book bag slung over her left shoulder. She had left her ring book upstairs. I moved Robin's stuff to one side of the coffee table, allowing space for Lily and Sam to spread out their stuff.

"Hollie," Lily stopped as she slid down to sit on the floor, taking off her shoes before crossing her legs, "Are you dating Remus or James?"

Lily's eyebrows, which were a shade darker than her dark auburn hair, were lowered in slight confusion.

"James and I broke up," I knew that didn't answer the question but I didn't really want to say no to both…even though it was the truth.

"Oh," Lily bit her bottom lip as she opened her Astronomy book, setting it on her lap, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," I grinned at her as Robin slid down the couch to the floor, giving me a look that I knew meant I should behave myself, "We like each other…but as friends. There was nothing special there, not like with…Remus."

"Oh, so are you and Remus dating now," Lily asked as she looked over at Sam, whom I just knew must look like she was sucking on a lemon…kind of like Sirius did whenever James and I held hands in front of him.

"No…" I let the answer hang, to make it sound like I was hoping it would eventually change. I pinched Robin's leg as I noticed her about to say something that would ruin the whole plan.

Turning to look at Sam from the corner of my eye, I saw that it was working. Sam looked unhappy at the turn of the conversation and I just couldn't help but feel giddy. Now all I had to do was get Remus to go along with the plan…without letting him know what it was, that is.

I stopped as I realized what I was thinking. I was actually planning on using my best friend to make Sam unhappy. Oh man, I really was a bitch.

"I don't know if we ever would go out, though" I shrugged as I leaned back against the couch, ignoring Robin's pleased smile at my honesty, "I mean, if we did, Dad and Uncle Matt would be deliriously happy. They're hoping that we get married once we're older. But…we've been friends for so long."

"You had said something about your fathers doing something when you were babies," Robin reached out to grab her quill, realizing at the last minute as her Astronomy book landed on her toes, that she had stuck it in between the pages of the book, "Are you ever planning on telling us about it?"

"Oh that," I laughed as I opened my book to the assigned chapter, "It is, what Mum and Aunt Kat call, the stupidest thing those two have ever done. You see, in wizarding families, there are certain things, gifts so to speak, that parents, grandparents and godparents can give to a baby. I don't mean stuff like clothes or such things, but magical gifts. Kind of like blessings, I suppose. Example being Aunt Kat giving Remus a love and aptitude for music. Because of that, there is not an instrument that Remus does not like nor cannot play."

"Mum gave me the gift of making quick decisions," Robin added, gnawing on her thumbnail as she looked through her things for a clean chart, "It's a curse and a blessing."

"How's the ability to make quick decisions a curse," Lily asked as she wished she could make quick decisions…it took her forever to make up her mind about anything.

"It's a curse because I make decisions so quickly," Robin smiled at Lily as she pulled out the chart she was looking for, "I don't have time to think of the consequences."

We all laughed at Robin's funny face as we settled closer to the table.

"What do these gift things have to do with your father wanting you to marry Remus," Sam asked as she kept her eyes on her Astronomy book, pretending to be talking to a wall. I was tempted not to answer, since most walls in this castle wouldn't.

"There are time limits for the giving of magical gifts. Parents have twenty-four hours, grandparents have two weeks and godparents have six weeks. I was born a month after Remus, to the day. Both my parents gave me their gifts, as well as my grandparents. Dad and Mum had asked Uncle Matt and Aunt Kat to be my godparents and they said yes. So a week after I was born, we all went over to the Lupins' for dinner, and the gift giving. Aunt Kat had hers all ready but Uncle Matt still hadn't made up his mind. Which was probably due to the fact that Dad had yet to figure out what to bless Remus with, since my parents' are Remus' godparents."

I pulled out my star chart from my book bag, which was sitting beside the couch where I had left it after I had finished my work with Remus, "Anyway, since the only other place to put a baby in that house was in the crib that Remus was using, that's how Remus and I met. For some reason or other, when my parents took me home, I couldn't fall asleep, kept them awake with my crying. At about two in the morning, Dad took me over to the Lupins', where Uncle Matt opened the door with a crying Remus in his arms. They said that as soon as we heard each other, we stopped crying and looked for each other. And that's when they got the brilliant idea of what to give their godchildren as gifts."

"Oh boy," Robin grimaced as she wondered if my and Remus' fathers could really be that stupid, "Tell me it isn't so?"

"I'm afraid it is," I nodded as I grabbed my silver eagle quill, a gift from my father at the beginning of the year after I got sorted to Gryffindor.

"What," both Lily and Sam were looking at me, wanting me to spell out what Robin had picked up on.

"Dad and Uncle Matt decided to give us to each other. You know…Remus belongs to me and I belong to him. Kind of like when you give a child a doll…except, in our case, the doll breathes and eats and talks and walks…and grows."

Sam and Lily stared at me with wide shocked eyes and I knew they were both thinking the same thing mother and Aunt Kat said out loud when they found out what their husbands had done…those two men were stupid, stupid, stupid.

"It's really no big deal," I shrugged nonchalantly; "It wasn't when we grew up and it isn't now. Of course, I've heard Mum and Aunt Kat worry about what this is going to do to us when we're older and in a serious relationship…not with each other but with others."

"Let me guess," Remus jumped over the back of the couch to land cross legged right behind me, scaring me enough to make me squeak, "You're telling them about the stupidest thing that Uncle Chris and Dad have ever done."

I grinned at him as I tilted my head back to be able to look at him, "Yup. They seem to agree with our moms."

"It's ridiculous, really. I mean," Lily's eyebrows lowered as she looked at me and Remus, "You two belong to each other?"

"Yup," we both said at the same time, our nods and facial expressions mirror images of each other.

"So…what happens if one of you falls in love with someone else," Sam asked, giving Remus a strange look that I didn't like.

"Hollie has to ask me for permission," Remus nodded in a manner of superiority as I leaned back against his knees, "And if I don't like the guy, I can say no."

"Why am I the one that falls in love first," I frowned at him as he smiled down at me.

"Because you've already had one boyfriend," Remus teased as his smile turning into a full blown grin, "In the relationship scoreboard –Hollie One, Remus Zero."

"And we're keeping it that way," I grumbled as I turned back to the chart, "The Remus zero part I mean."

"Well, that's possessive," Remus tugged at my hair in the same manner he had done when we were toddlers.

"Possessive?" I turned to stare at him with my mouth wide open in surprise, "I remember you pushing Sirius to the ground when we were five because he grabbed my hand."

"I didn't like him holding my hand," Remus grumbled in a low voice, his face slightly dark with indignation.

"My hand, Remus," I turned sideways to look up into his face, giving him a look that let him know I was teasing.

"Your hand, my hand, same thing," Remus muttered before he looked away from me and towards the other three girls, who were staring at us with avid curiosity, "And that's what our fathers have done to us. It's gotten better now, since we got three years apart and are now able to think of ourselves as individuals, but when we were kids, it was like Hollie was an extension of myself and vise versa."

"I did everything a month early because Remus refused to leave me behind," I turned to grin at him, "Remember what your aunt said happened when you started crawling?"

"Yeah," Remus laughed as he recalled his Aunt Anna's amusement over what her brother and his best friend had done, "Aunt Anna got to see me crawl for the first time but because Hollie was still mastering the rocking back and forth, I just plopped myself next to her instead of crawling off."

"He was always like that," I leaned my head back onto his knee, "Waiting for me to do something he could already do. If he got tired of waiting, he would force me to do it."

"I never forced you to do anything," Remus tugged at my hair again, just a tad bit harder than usual to let me know he was indignant, "If you recall, Dad gave me the gift of patience. I could have waited ages for you to do something."

"Ah, true," I smiled up at him before turning back to my dorm mates, "Anyway, these girls haven't been blessed with patience so we should get this Astronomy project done."

"I'll just sit here and watch, if you girls don't mind," Remus sat back, crossing his arms over his chest as I started explaining the project to the girls. I knew, without looking, that Remus was occasionally staring at Sam. I could see her blush every time she looked his way.

I shook my head as I realized I was going to have to talk to that boy again. But at least Sam now knew that she couldn't get anywhere with Remus without my permission…which she also knew I wasn't likely to give.


	15. Full Moon and He Who Must Not Be Named

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and a few others, are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are not receiving profit for our story.

* * *

**Full Moon and He Who Must Not Be Named**

_Remus' POV_

The first thing I was aware of was being sore from head to toe. I kept my eyes closed, willing myself to go back to sleep. It was the best way to recover from a full moon. Thankfully, Madam Pomfrey had already given me a potion for the pain. If she hadn't, I would be in more pain from the self-inflicting wounds.

I hadn't thought it possible but the full moons had gotten worse since I had started Hogwarts. The pain from the transformation, my human consciousness slipping away and being replaced by the wolf –monster –had not changed. The difference was in the absence of one thing…my dad. Being an animangus, he was able to join me on the full moons as a bear and during those three years, he never missed one. I hadn't realized it until now but having another animal there calmed the wolf. Now that I was alone, I had no choice but to attack myself.

However, my dad's absence had much more of an effect. He was the leader of the family, the Alpha of my pack. His very presence commanded obedience. Even though I was safely locked up, he helped keep the wolf under control. Without him, the wolf seemed at a loss on what to do… and not just on the full moons.

From day to day, the wolf looked at my dad for leadership. With no Alpha, there was no leadership. The only thing that kept the wolf from breaking away was fear of his Alpha. My dad wasn't handed the role. He fought for it. He beat the wolf into submission. The wolf had learned…obey or there will be consequences.

I hadn't admitted it to anyone but I missed my dad. For three years, he was always there day and night and helping me mentally fight the wolf. Without him close by, I was worried that if the wolf decided to break away, I wouldn't be able to fight it. I was afraid I would lose control.

I gave up on falling back to sleep because my brain was too awake for me to drift off. After a few moments, I soon realized that someone was sitting next to my bed. I already knew who it was because he was there every time I woke up the day after a full moon ever since I started Hogwarts. When I opened my eyes, I couldn't believe what I saw. Alex was reading a book.

Alex looked up from his book and answered my confused expression, "I have NEWT's this year. I have to refresh my memory," he put the book down and turned his attention to me, "How are you doing this morning?"

It was out of my mouth before I even realized what I was going to say, "I miss Dad."

Alex looked at me with perfect understanding, "Of course you miss Dad."

* * *

_Alex's POV_

I wasn't shocked by his statement. In fact, I was surprised he hadn't voiced it sooner. Dad was…well…Remus' source of control. If it wasn't for our father, Remus would have become the kind of werewolf that our Aunt Anna hunted and destroyed. The ones that attacked others just for the fun of it and out of some sick twisted revenge for what had happened to them…just like the one that had attacked Remus.

I had no doubt that the wolf fought to have control of the body, to somehow eradicate the human sense given to all people, the ability to think as a person with a conscious. The transformations during the full moon weren't enough…the animal within wanted to be in control at all times. How was an eight year old boy supposed to fight against that?

Quite simple. He can't. It's impossible. But it shouldn't have been this way at all…

"Alex, stop it," Remus interrupted my thoughts with that simple order, "I know what you're thinking so stop it."

"But it's the truth," I couldn't help the reply even though we've had this conversation before, many times, and it would come up again. It always did.

Remus didn't respond, probably from a lack of energy. He usually said the same thing because the conversation never changed. _It doesn't matter. _

It mattered to me, what my brother had done. And what had happened to him for his selfless act.

"Do you want me to leave, let you sleep?"

"No," Remus turned to look at me, a tired smile on his face, "My brain's going every which way. Stay and talk to me."

"Alright," I sat back, stretching out my long legs, "How are classes going for you?"

"Good," Remus grimaced as he shifted in the bed, "Barely passing Potions…but I have no one to blame but myself for that."

"How's that," I frowned in confusion, for my brother was a smart kid and I couldn't really comprehend why he would have difficulty with any subject.

"Hollie's my Potions partner," Remus chuckled as he turned to look at me, "She's horrible. Absolutely hopeless. She's melted the last three cauldrons, one of them being mine. I had to write to Mum to ask her to send me another one…"

I couldn't help but laugh at the look of chagrin that crossed his face, understanding where he was coming from. Dominic hadn't been all that great with Potions back when we were first years either. I remember clearly a few catastrophes caused by him that had resulted in my either writing home for a new cauldron or ending up in the Infirmary with boils covering me from head to toe.

"Has she sent you to the Infirmary covered in boils yet," I asked as I grinned at Remus, "Dom did that to me the second month of our first year."

"Ugh, no she hasn't," Remus grimaced as he pushed himself into a sitting position. I moved quickly to reposition the pillows behind him, "Stop fussing. Sometimes you're worse than Mum. How did you pass Potions with Dominic being such a mess?"

"I suggested he get a tutor," I shrugged as I sat back down, "Then I asked Professor Slughorn to assign me to a different partner."

"I wouldn't be able to do that to Hollie," Remus shoved his hand through his sandy brown hair, "It would hurt her feelings."

"Yeah, well that's what you get for having a girl as your best friend," I shrugged again as I grinned at him, "Emotions. Messy stuff, I tell you."

"What would you know," Remus quipped back, a grin growing, "It's not as if you've even had a girlfriend to speak from experience."

"All I have to do is watch you deal with Hollie," I grinned back at him as I stretched my arms above my head, "It's like watching you deal with a ticking bomb."

"Not nice, Alex," Remus frowned at me in displeasure and I knew I had done wrong. No one, not even his older brother, was allowed to say anything bad about Hollie in front of him. And all because of Dad and Uncle Chris' stupid decision to give them to each other…something that Remus took very seriously.

"Sorry," I leaned farther back into the chair, "Didn't mean to insult your Hollie."

Remus nodded as he closed his eyes, breathing in before looking at me again, "What about you? How's life going for you?"

"As expected, considering what Hollie did," I looked out the window, waiting to see if my brother had had anything to do with the prank that Hollie had managed to play on both her brother and myself.

"What did she do," Remus asked in honest curiosity. He didn't even know Hollie had a vendetta against his brother.

"It was really just supposed to be Dominic," I turned to look at my brother, my smile letting him know I wasn't holding a grudge against his best friend, "But since I'm stupid enough to hang out with him all the time, I got some of it too."

"Okay, now I'm seriously curious. What did she do?"

"It was absolutely brilliant, Remus," I laughed as I recalled what had happened early this morning before breakfast, "I have no idea how the hell she pulled it off. First, she had to find our common room and then figure out the password. Once inside, she had to get to the seventh year boys' room without getting caught, grab all our stuff and get out of there, once again, without getting caught.

"Then, right before breakfast, she festooned all our underpants outside the Great Hall for everyone to see as they came down for breakfast. We would have both laughed along with everyone else and pretend that they weren't ours but then Hollie got there along with her friends. She pointed at a pair of them, calling out so loud even those already inside the Great Hall were able to hear "Hey Dominic. Aren't those the matching pants Mum gave you and Alex for Christmas?" You should have seen Dom's face…it looked like a tomato ready to bust!"

Remus laughed so hard he had to hold his arms over his aching ribs, his eyes screwed shut as tears leaked out. Even though I hated the fact that he was in pain, I was glad I had made him forget about how miserable he felt, even if it was at my own humiliation. It was more than I owed him.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

I looked up with the rest of the students as the owls flew into the Great Hall, carrying post of all shapes and sizes.

I smiled as Okanawa, my black and silver Eagle Owl father had given me at the beginning of the school year, landed gracefully right in front of my breakfast, having already dropped a rolled package on my lap.

"Hey Oka," I reached out to scratch her feathers, watching her close her eyes in pleasure before she took my toast and stretched her wings to fly away.

"What's your owl's name," Robin looked up from the letter she had gotten from her mother to look at me as I pulled the twine off the package, immediately recognizing my father's handwriting.

"Okanawa…Oka for short," I smiled at her as I unrolled what turned out to be a copy of the Daily Prophet along with a long letter from father, "It's an Indian name I picked up from my cousins."

"Did Uncle Chris send you the Daily Prophet," Remus looked up from the thick envelope he had received from his father. He was sitting across from me…which meant he was within staring distance of Sam Parker. I wondered if he even realized how he seemed to be stalking her.

"How'd you know," I put the paper aside as I unrolled the letter.

"Because Dad sent me one too," Remus reached over to take the letter from my hand, "I think it's best if you read the paper first."

I rolled my eyes as I grabbed the rolled paper, unrolling it to reveal the front page, my eyes widening in shock at the headline and picture.

"Oh Merlin," a shocked whisper escaped me as I quickly scanned the article, not believing what I was reading.

I looked up to look at Remus, who was also scanning the same article, which Uncle Matt had cut out and mailed in an envelope along with his own letter instead of sending him the entire paper like father had done with me.

"This is unbelievable," I couldn't help the shocked tone to my voice as he looked up to look at me, a grim look on his face.

"Yes, it is."

"What's going on," James leaned over Robin to take the paper from my hands, he and Sirius quickly perusing the front page, Robin reading over James' shoulder.

"Son of a bitch," Sirius muttered as he shoved his hand through his hair, "It's definitely getting worse."

"No wonder Dad hasn't had time to write," James shook his head as he flipped through the other pages of the paper, "All Mum said was that he was way too busy at the Ministry."

"Yeah," I reached over the table to grab my father's letter, which Remus had placed next to his breakfast plate, knocking over the apple juice in the process.

"Hollie!" Lily quickly grabbed the Potions essay she had been reviewing before it got wet as the juice quickly spread to the edges of the table.

"Sorry," I unrolled the letter as I continued with what I had intended to say, "Dad told me he's had to schedule most of his Aurors to do double shifts…even then, they've only managed to catch only one or two of the Death Eaters but You-Know-Who is still at large."

"Trying to catch You-Know-Who is like trying to catch smoke," James tossed the rolled up paper to me, "That's what Dad told me over the Christmas break."

"I overheard Uncle Chris and Dad talking about him on Christmas Eve," Remus was scanning the three page letter his father had sent him, the grimace on his face getting darker at what his father had written, "It seems he's becoming a much bigger threat than they thought."

"Well, it's been two years since he started causing all these things," I shoved the rolled newspaper into the bookbag at my feet, "And they still know nothing about him except what he calls himself and his purpose for all of this crap he's doing…and, of course, those disgusting followers of his."

"Excuse me," Sam interrupted after a questioning look to Lily had resulted in an equally confused look, "Who are you talking about…and what are Death Eaters?"

"Do you two know nothing about what's been going on the past two years," I stared at them in shock, jumping at the well aimed kick Remus sent my way, "Ouch! That hurt!"

"Don't be so obtuse, Hollie," Remus gave me a look that I knew meant I should think about what I say before opening my mouth, "They just found out they were witches last summer. How are they supposed to know about what's been going on in the wizarding world the past two years?"

"Oh sorry," I grimaced as I tried to rub my shin, "It's just that…both of you…are such naturals I forgot you're Muggle born."

"I think Hollie just complimented you, Sam," James laughed at the sour look on my face because I had indeed just complimented Sam, however grudgingly, "That must be sticking in your craw, Hols."

"I'll tell you what will be sticking in your craw, James Potter," I glared at him as I pulled out my wand from the inside pocket of my robe, letting out another squeal in response to Remus' second well aimed kick, "Will you stop kicking me?!"

Robin giggled as I turned my wand on Remus, who showed no fear at all as he reached out and snatched it out of my hand, "Let's stick to the subject at hand. Lily and Sam would like to know about You-Know-Who and his followers."

I pulled the newspaper out of my bookbag and handed it to them, knowing that would be the fastest way of explaining the atrocities this madman and his followers were causing.

"Oh," Lily gasped in shock as she and Sam read over the headline, their eyes returning to the picture again and again as they read through the article, "Who is this guy?"

"One thing you gotta understand," Remus handed back my wand before he turned to look at Lily and Sam, "Is that not all wizards are good. Some go bad."

"Such as Grindewald," I muttered, knowing that Sam and Lily knew who I was talking about since he had been mentioned in History of Magic a few times.

"This guy…he's worse than Grindewald," Remus grimaced as he saw equal looks of fear on both Sam and Lily's faces, "He's gaining a lot of power, very fast –"

"Despite the Ministry's every attempt to stop him and his followers," I interrupted, knowing Remus wouldn't care, "Which is another problem. He's been recruiting followers since before we even knew his purpose, and it seems he keeps recruiting more every day."

"What –what does the article mean about his cause," Lily dropped the paper on the table, rubbing her palms on her robes as if they were dirty.

Remus and I looked at each other before we turned to look at James and Sirius. Having grown up in the wizarding world, we knew about the prejudices that some people held, some of us even having family members that held on to those prejudices.

But how to explain to them without sounding like we agreed…which we didn't?

"You see," I cleared my throat as I turned to look at Sam and Lily, Robin leaning over my shoulder to look at them too, "There are some wizards that think magic learning should be kept within certain families."

Sam and Lily looked at each other before turning to look at me, "What kind of families?"

I bit my bottom lip as I looked at Remus before answering, "Pureblood families."

"What about Half-Bloods," Lily asked as she looked at Robin over my shoulder, now understanding some of the looks she got from Sev's housemates, "Do they have a right to magical education?"

"Well, that depends," Remus interrupted as he moved his plate to lean his arms on the table, "Like myself. I'm a Half-Blood…well, three-quarter blood. My Mum's a Half-Blood but my Dad…he's a Pureblood. And he's from one of the most powerful wizarding families in our world. Therefore, there's no way anyone would deny me or my brother magical education just because we're not complete Purebloods."

"My Mum's a Pureblood," Robin spoke up, her voice soft as we all turned to look at her, "And she comes from a rather small and obscure family…which is why my Mum married my Dad, a Muggle. Therefore, there would be no problem denying me magical education. See where we're going?"

"So technically," Sam handed back the newspaper, which I shoved into my bookbag along with Dad's letter, "The only ones of us that should have magical education no questions asked is…"

"Hollie, Sirius and James," Remus supplied the end to that phrase, giving Sam a pained smile at the way things were in the wizarding world.

I looked down at my wand before tucking it into the inside pocket of my robe, "Both my parents' are Purebloods…and they both come from very powerful families. My Mum's family…well, they do everything possible to keep the family line "pure" which is why my Mum and Dad were arranged to be married…my dad's family…they're just traditional that way. It's the way it's always been done and the way it will continue to be."

"Your parents were arranged to be married," Lily's eyebrows lowered over her bright green eyes, "That sounds absolutely archaic."

"Not in the wizarding world," James spoke up, leaning over Robin to look at Lily, who frowned at his interruption, "It's actually quite common among Pureblood families…especially the big ones. My parents' were also arranged to be married as well as Sirius'."

"My Dad was arranged to be married too," Remus and I grinned…this was one of our favorite stories, "The Lupin family is just as traditional as the Belledrex family. So by the time Dad was ten, he was arranged to marry a Pureblood girl from another wizarding family in Switzerland."

"Switzerland," Sam bit her bottom lip and I knew she hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"That's where my Dad was born and raised."

"My father was born and raised in France," I supplied, holding back the desire to kick Remus as he stared at Sam, "And my mother's from Russia."

"Your mother's Russian?" Lily turned to look at me along with Sam and Robin, all three looking surprised, "You don't look half Russian and half French…in fact; I would say there was some Native American along with Oriental in you."

"Hollie's a mutt," Remus chuckled as I turned to glare at him…he knew I hated it when he used that phrase.

"I have a little bit of everything in me," I shrugged as I tried to recall the ethnic groups that made up my family on my mother's side, "My mother's side of the family line don't care about ethnic purity…all they care about is purity of magic. So, aside from Russian and French, I also have Native American, Asian, Italian, Spanish, Irish, English, Swiss, African, Egyptian, Scottish and…I'm forgetting one…"

"German," Remus supplied as he reached out to grab a piece of toast just as the tables were magically cleared.

"Right," I nodded my head as I grabbed my bookbag…it was time to head to class.

"That explains why you don't look like any normal English girl," Sirius gave me a smile that I absolutely abhorred.

"What does a normal English girl look like, Black," I asked him, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"You know…pale…like Sam, Lily and Robin."

"Hey," Robin shoved him lightly as she walked beside me.

"What," Sirius shrugged, ignoring the glares Lily and Sam gave him, "It's true. I mean, compared to Hollie, all three of you are pale. She has a year round tan. She's definitely darker than most of the English girls around here."

"Well, that's probably because she's not English," Remus threw his arm around my shoulder as we all got out of the Great Hall and headed to the third floor for our first class…History of Magic, "She's only one-sixteenth English. We did the calculations once."

"We were bored," I laughed as I reached up to grab his wrist with my hand.

"Do you stay in touch with everyone on your mum's side of the family," Lily asked, walking on the other side of Remus.

"Some of them, yes," I looked at her with a smile, "Like my cousins Cade and Reba…the ones in the states. They're from the Native American strain in my family…then there's Antonio and Marcelo…" I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of my crazy Italian cousins, "They're the Italians. And absolutely insane…they're both way too much fun."

"Do they all speak English or do you speak something other than English," Sam asked, curiosity evident on her voice. I couldn't help but wonder why.

"No, they don't speak English," I answered, not willing to say more than that. But then, I kept forgetting that Remus was raised to be polite.

"Hollie can speak six different languages," Remus smiled over my head at Sam, squeezing my shoulders.

"Eight," I couldn't help correcting him, looking up at him with a smile, knowing he was reminding me to be polite too.

"You learned two more?"

"Yup," I sighed as I turned to look at Sam, "I speak fluent French, Russian, Italian, Spanish and Cherokee. I can do rudimentary German and Mandarin. And Dad just started teaching me Mermish."

"Cool," James and Remus responded as we turned into the hallway that led to our classroom.

"Mermish," Sam gave me a confused look as we walked into our classrooms, heading to our seats and since Professor Binns had assigned Sam and I adjoining seats, I was able to answer.

"Yes…language of the merpeople," I saw the confused look on her face, "You know…mermaids."

"They're for real," Sam's face was classic and I couldn't help laughing.

"Yes," I pulled out my book, notebook and a silver plated pen as I sat down, "In fact, there's a whole colony in the Black Lake. I actually befriended one of them so I could practice what Dad's teaching me."

"Wow," Sam sat on her chair, staring off into space in shock, "I wonder when I'm going to stop being surprised at these things."

"Oh, it will all soon become trivial to you," I shrugged as I twisted the bottom of my pen and wrote the date on the top right corner of the paper before me, "You know, mermaids, giants, werewolves, vampires, banshees, ghosts, mummies, ghouls…you name it."

Sam nodded as she pulled out a notebook and her pen, quickly writing the date just as Professor Binns glided through the blackboard, starting the lesson right away.

Of course, being History of Magic, within minutes, majority of us were asleep or on the way there.

"Hey," Sam reached out and poked me, almost making me fall out of my seat as I came awake with a start, "You never did say what Death Eaters were or the name of this psycho guy."

I wiped a hand over my face, giving Professor Binns a bleary look before turning back to Sam, "Death Eaters are what his followers call themselves. I suppose they call themselves that because, well, they have no compunction over using the Killing Curse. And as for You-Know-Who...not many people are brave enough to say his name."

"Are you," Sam whispered back, giving me an assessing look and I couldn't help but rise to the challenge.

"He calls himself," I looked around the classroom and lowered my voice even more, "Lord Voldemort. We, of course, don't use the Lord part and even his followers don't call him by his name."

"What do his followers call him by," Sam asked as she caught Lily looking over at them sternly, grabbing her pen and pretending to be writing notes.

I swallowed as I looked at Professor Binns again, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Unfortunately, I was absolutely lost and was going to have to borrow Robin's notes…again.

"Hollie?"

"They call him," I rubbed the tip of my nose before turning to look at Sam, not able to keep the fear I felt concerning this guy from showing on my face, "The Dark Lord."

* * *

_Remus' POV_

I groaned as Hollie and Robin, who was paired up against James and I, won the second round of Exploding Snap.

"You now owe me a Chocolate Frog," Hollie crowed as she gathered the cards to get ready for a third game against Lily and Sam, who were playing the winners.

"Don't forget me," Robin grinned as she leaned back against the couch, stretching her legs out under the low coffee table.

"Never," I smiled at her as I moved to the other side of the table along with James so Lily and Sam could take our place, "I'll see if I have any left."

"Oh please," Hollie looked over at me as she handed out the cards, "We both know you have a stash of them considering that you're a chocoholic."

"You're one to talk," I muttered as I leaned back against the couch next to Hollie, "How many Chocolate Frogs do you have hidden in your drawer?"

"Ten…but I'm saving those for exam week. The one you owe me, I plan on eating right in front of you."

"You're a cruel one," I reached out to pull her hair as the game began, trying to watch Sam without Hollie noticing, liking the way the fire made her dark blonde hair occasionally glimmer like gold.

"You know I'll end up sharing them with you," Hollie stated as she concentrated on her cards, quickly matching hers to Robin's against Lily and Sam.

Good, she hadn't noticed that I was stealing glances at Sam. I smiled at Sam when she looked up just as Hollie turned to briefly look at me, a dark eyebrow raised in that questioning manner of hers which let me know she knew what I was doing.

"Pay attention," I pointed at the pile of cards, trying to distract her from giving me that look.

"I just realized something," Lily looked over at Remus as she placed her next card on top of Sam's, "This morning, you mentioned your Dad was arranged to be married to a Pureblood."

"Yeah, he was," I nodded in agreement to her statement as I looked over Hollie's shoulder to see what cards she had.

"But you said your Mum was a Half-Blood," Sam spoke up, watching Hollie as she put down a card in response to Lily's.

"Yes, she is," I smiled at her before turning to look at Hollie, knowing where they were going with their prodding.

"So how did that happen," Robin joined in as she placed her next card over Hollie's.

"Dad met Mum about a year before he was supposed to get married," I reached out to play with Hollie's hair as the cards continued to quickly build up, "He told me that the moment he saw her, he knew she was the only one he wanted to marry. He went after her and eventually convinced her that he was the only one for her as well."

"They eloped about a month after my dad and mum got married," Hollie dropped the next card, shifting through the few she had remaining.

"And about two months before Dad's arranged marriage."

"What did his parents say," Lily groaned as the stack of cards exploded on her turn, Robin and Hollie letting out a cheer of victory.

"Opa demanded Dad annul the marriage but by the time Dad came around with Mum to Switzerland, which was a month after they eloped, Mum was already pregnant with Alex. So instead of the marriage being annulled, Opa kicked Dad out of the family."

"That seems a little harsh," Sam picked up the cards on the floor, throwing them onto the table before moving aside to make room for the next team, Sirius and Peter.

"It's the way things are among Pureblood families," Hollie gathered all the cards in her hands and tapped them into place before shuffling, "It's a matter of honor. If my father, being the oldest, had done that, not only would Grandpapa Belledrex have disowned him, but he would have destroyed any chances of Dad doing well for himself in the wizarding world."

"That's cruel," Lily muttered as she pushed herself off the floor to sit on an empty armchair, Sam sitting on the floor before her.

"You have to understand, Lily," I looked over at her, smiling as my eyes flicked over to Sam, "Dad backed out on a marriage contract…that left Opa in a very embarrassing situation. Dad was lucky that he wasn't the oldest otherwise, it would have truly been horrible."

"So you didn't grow up with your Dad's side of the family," Robin asked softly as she took her cards that Hollie had passed out, sifting through them quickly.

"Oh, I did."

"How," Sam gave me a shy smile that quickly died when Hollie turned to glare at her. I couldn't help but tug hard at Hollie's hair to remind her to be nice, "You said your dad got kicked out of the family."

"He did," I stretched out my legs, "But then my brother Alex was born."

"Why did that matter," Peter spoke up, putting down a card after Sirius nudged him to hurry up.

"He was the first grandson born. All my cousins, save one, are girls. By the time Alex was born, there were already six granddaughters. Nobody really believed that Alex was a boy so he got passed around to all the Uncles and Aunts and unwrapped. Mum said it was the funniest thing she had ever seen."

"Tell them what they did with you," Hollie grinned up at me and I blushed at the fact that she had brought that up in front of Sam.

"They just…held me up…for everyone to see at the same time," I couldn't help the blush getting deeper as they all laughed, "They did the same thing to my cousin Gabriel. He's four years older than me."

"What house is he in," Lily asked as she shifted sideways on the armchair, throwing her legs over the arm of the chair as she slouched deeper into the cushions.

"He's not attending Hogwarts." I pulled myself up from the floor to sit on the couch, tired of the looks Hollie kept sending my way every time I looked at Sam.

"He's a wizard, right," Sam reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yup. He's Aunt Anna's only child…so technically, he's not a Lupin. Anyway, he's actually a fifth year student at Durmstrang."

"Durmstrang," Lily and Sam spoke simultaneously as they looked over at me with similar questioning looks.

"It's an all boys' wizarding school…nobody that's not a student or professor there knows where exactly it's located. Majority of the Lupins have gone there…except for myself and Alex, of course. We got accepted to Hogwarts because Mum graduated from here."

"Dad and Uncle Matt met as first years in Durmstrang," Hollie placed down her card in response to Sirius', watching as Robin responded quickly with her own card, "They've been best friends ever since. If Durmstrang had been co-ed, that's where Dad would have sent me. As is, I got accepted to Beauxbatons but I chose to come to Hogwarts instead."

"Beauxbatons," Lily looked over at Hollie, "How many wizarding schools are there?"

"Beauxbatons is an all girls' wizarding school somewhere in the mountains of France," Hollie quickly played her next card, "Then there's Durmstrang, Edgemere which is the all girls' school near Durmstrang that Remus' aunts went to, there's three of them in the states, one in Mexico and one in South America, there's one somewhere in Asia, another one near Egypt and one in New Zealand. And, of course, Hogwarts."

Hollie and Robin let out a cheer as the stack of cards exploded on Peter's turn. I shook my head as Hollie jumped to her feet along with Robin and did a victory turn, throwing her arms up over her head.

"That's two chocolate frogs each team," Hollie collapsed into the couch next to me, "So that makes a total of what? Six chocolate frogs?"

"Three for each," Robin nodded as she sat next to Hollie, kicking off her shoes and tucking her legs under her, "Remus, you said you have six female cousins –"

"I have thirty-three of them now," I laughed at the look of shock on Sam and Lily's face, "We make a total of thirty-six grandkids. Dad's one of ten."

"One of ten," Lily exclaimed in shock at such a large number.

"You think that's bad," Hollie chuckled as she leaned against me, placing her head on my shoulder, "My dad's the oldest of thirteen…all boys except for the youngest one…my Aunt Roz whose just a few months older than me. She's a second year at. Beauxbatons."

"That's insane," Sirius muttered as he stretched out on the floor.

"As you well know, Pureblood families do tend to be a little eccentric…if not completely insane," I covered my mouth as a yawn escaped me, "Wow…I think it's time for bed."

Hollie looked over at the clock on the wall before pushing herself out of the couch, "Definitely time for bed. See ya tomorrow."

I smiled up at her as she tousled my hair before walking towards the stairs that led to the girls' dorm room, Robin standing up to follow after her.

"Good night," she said softly, jumping over the couch instead of going around. We all watched as she headed halfway up the stairs then turned back, running around the couch to grab her shoes, "Almost forgot these."

The guys pushed themselves to their feet, James grabbing the deck of Exploding Snap, all of them heading single file to the stairs that led up to our dorm room, "You coming Remus?"

"Right behind you," I called out to James, pushing myself out of the couch at the same time that Sam and Lily stood up, "I'll see you girls tomorrow."

"Yeah," Lily nodded her head as she moved towards the stairs, not looking over her shoulder to see if Sam was following.

Sam gnawed on her bottom lip as she moved around the couch and slowly headed towards the staircase, looking over her shoulder at me.

"Have a good night, Sam," I smiled at her as I moved towards the guys' staircase, moving equally slow.

"You too Remus," Sam smiled at me before heading up the stairs, her ponytail swinging against her back.

I stood there for a while, staring at the spot she had been standing on, wondering if I had ever before seen a smile as beautiful as Sam's.

"Go to bed, Remus."

I looked up to see Hollie leaning against the balcony ledge, already wearing her pajamas with her hair in a thick braid draped over her shoulder, a smile on her face.

I shook my head as I ran up the stairs, quickly looking down the balcony hallway to see Hollie opening the door to the tower where the Gryffindor girls' dorm rooms were, "'Night Hollie."

"'Night Remus," Hollie looked over her shoulder to smile at me again, "Sweet dreams."

I stood there, wondering what the look on her face meant before deciding it would be best to ask her instead of waste time trying to figure it out on my own.

I yawned again, opening the tower door and heading up to my room, ready to fall into bed and sleep the night away.

It had been an exhausting week.

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AN: We are on a roll!! We've been updating more than before and are so excited because of it. Hopefully the next chapter will be posted soon so stay tuned.


	16. Orange Hair and Detention

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and a few others, are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are not receiving profit for our story.

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**Orange Hair and Detention**

_Hollie's POV_

I stretched my arms over my head, breathing in the clean crisp air, shivering as the cool breeze brushed against my exposed skin.

Even though it was the first week of April and still cold, I wore my usual black halter top and black spandex shorts along with my black running shoes.

Bending over at the waist, I stretched out my back and my legs before starting off at a slow jog to warm up. My run usually consisted of one lap around the entire castle…that equaled to about four miles. Besides, at some points I had to clamber over rocks and hills, jump over crevices and large tree roots, so really, it was more of an obstacle course than just a cross country jaunt.

I quickly checked to make sure my wand was still on the leather wand harness strapped to my upper right arm where I could quickly reach it with my left hand. The letter that had come along with the newspaper concerning You-Know-Who and his followers a few weeks back had been filled with warnings and admonitions, reminding me to take all necessary precautions whenever I was outside the castle by myself, especially during my early morning runs.

I couldn't help but be glad that Father hadn't forbidden me to continue my early morning runs…he was, after all, the reason why I began running in the first place.

Well, it had been a combination of my Father and Remus…the summer that Remus had left for Switzerland with his family had been one of the worst summers of my life. I had spent the entire first week crying for Remus. The second week, Father started taking me with him to his early morning runs. At first, he had placed me on his shoulders, being that I was smaller than most eight year olds at that time, but eventually, I started running with him, even though he had to severely shorten his stride to let me keep up.

With time, I was able to lengthen my stride and keep up with my Father, running four miles every morning with him before breakfast with the rest of the family.

I shook my head as I recalled the many things I started getting involved in with the sole intention of distracting myself from missing Remus. It had been three years of feeling lonely despite the friendships I made with my cousins Reba and Cade after Mum decided to have me spend the rest of that first summer of Remus being gone in Texas. It was Reba who introduced me to gymnastics and Cade who taught me the basics of guitar and martial arts.

I remember writing to Remus throughout the summer and months after that, telling him about all the things that I was doing, letting him know that I missed him and wanted him to come back so I could teach him these things.

He never wrote back.

I knew asking him why he never replied wouldn't get me an answer. In fact, I was positive that he not replying to my letters was somehow attached to that secret I knew he had which he couldn't share with me.

But having him mention my martial arts at the beginning of the year made me realize that he had read my letters…the ones that eventually stopped after two years of him being gone.

I wondered if he had felt hurt that day when the letters stopped, if he had wondered if I had forgotten about him or given up that he might someday come back. Even though I never owled him a letter during the last year before Hogwarts, I had continued to write to him…in the secret journal my brother had given me on my tenth birthday…the same one I kept hidden under my mattress.

Maybe someday, I would give the journal to Remus…once I finished with it, that is.

Breathing hard as I finally reached the front of the castle, I slowed to a walk, bending over to catch my breath.

Eventually, I straightened up and turned to the east, watching in awe as the sunrise began…I timed my run so that I could see the sunrise before heading up to the dorm room to shower and get ready for the day. Somehow, that routine made the day so much brighter.

Taking a deep breath as the sun finally broke away from the horizon, I turned and pulled the big oak front door open, quickly slipping in and looking around before I made my way up to the fifth floor, walking quickly so Filch wouldn't catch me out of bed before hours.

Slipping behind a tapestry, I headed up the staircase that allowed me to pass over the third and fourth hall, jumping the second to last step on my way up, remembering that it was a trick step that would get me stuck there.

Pushing aside the tapestry at the top of the fifth floor, I quickly looked around the hall before rushing to the portrait at the far end, calling out the password several steps away so I could just jump in right as the Fat Lady swung open.

Running up the stairs, I couldn't help singing a song I was learning in choir along with the rest of the Hogwarts students that had received an invitation to audition at the beginning of the year even though I knew Sam hated it when I woke her up with music.

Quickly grabbing my bathrobe from my wardrobe, I ran into the bathroom, once again glad that I was a morning riser…that way I didn't have to be part of the morning squabble to see who showered first.

* * *

_Robin's POV_

I woke with a start, rolling over without realizing how close to the edge of the bed I was.

"Ouch!"

"Who's screaming?" I heard a groggy Lily ask as I pushed myself to my feet, fighting with the maroon bed curtains to detangle myself. I looked around as I realized that it had been the screaming coming from the bathroom that had rudely woken me up.

"Samantha Jean Parker!!! I am going to kill you!!!"

My eyes widened as Hollie stalked out of the bathroom, wearing a pale blue bathrobe with matching shower sandals and, of course, what was causing all the early morning commotion –dripping wet, bright orange streaked hair.

Lily and I turned to look at Sam once we got over the shock of Hollie's hair, watching as she shook her head and took a step back, denying that she had anything to do with the atrocity done to her roommate's hair.

"I swear Hollie, it wasn't me," Sam held out her hands before her, taking another step back as Hollie slowly stalked towards her, "You know very well I would own up to it if I had done it."

Hollie stopped because she knew Sam was right. Her hands balled into tight fists, her eyes bright with unshed tears as she turned to look at Lily then at me.

"Who would do this?"

I couldn't help but feel my heart twist with sympathy at my friend's plight, especially knowing that Hollie was a little more than just fond of her hair.

Hollie reach up to wipe away at the tears that escaped despite her best efforts with the sleeve of her bathrobe, her bottom lip wobbling a bit as she fought back a sob.

"That's what they were talking about."

We all turned to watch as –what was her name? Darla? Dharma? –our fifth roommate entered the dorm room, already dressed in her school robes.

"Who?" Hollie stared at what's her face, her eyes widening in anger when she answered.

"James and Sirius."

I turned to look at Sam and Lily, all of us showing surprise at the guys' idiocy for a split second before we scrambled to get dressed as Hollie rushed across the room, yanking out school robes from her wardrobe and throwing them on haphazardly, still managing to look better than the rest of us by the time she snatched her wand from her bedside table and stomped out the room.

"They've already headed to breakfast."

I looked quickly at our fifth roommate, my eyebrows lowering as I tried to recall her name –Daisy? Deana? –before grabbing both my and Hollie's book bags, rushing out of the room after Lily, Sam following close behind me.

Hollie was already out the portrait hole by the time we hit the bottom of the stairs so we hurried to catch up as she stalked down the hall, muttering death threats loud enough for all around her to hear.

"I'm going to kill those loathsome gits. Nobody's going to miss them. The teachers will probably thank me…may even give me an award for a service to the school," Hollie's words, along with the murderous expression on her usually cheery face –not to mention the streaked bright orange hair that had dried in its usual curly fashion –let all the other students in the hallway know that there might be a possible fight.

"Hollie," I couldn't help but try to calm her down, "There's no way any of the professors are going to let you do anything to James or Sirius in the Great Hall –"

"One way or another, they are going to pay," Hollie muttered, not even bothering to look over her shoulder to see the entourage that followed after her as she tossed her hair behind her shoulder and away from her face, "Preferably in a very painful manner."

I grimaced as we rushed down the stairs after her, getting closer to the Great Hall and possibly the expulsion of Hollie Belledrex from Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After all, I doubted they would let her stay in school after she publicly killed those two idiotic Gryffindors in front of a multitude of witnesses.

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_Alex's POV_

I looked up as the big oak doors of the Great Hall swung open with force, surprised to see little Hollie stalk in instead of Hagrid, the games keeper, being that he was the only one to make the Great Hall doors open with a bang.

I nudged Dominic with an elbow in the ribs, knowing he was too busy flirting with Evie to notice the doors opening, much less the entrance of his sister with decidedly funny looking hair.

"Is Hollie's hair –orange?" Dominic leaned across the table, watching as Hollie, followed by a large group of other students, including her roommates, stalked towards the end of the Gryffindor table near the professors' table.

I couldn't help but chuckle despite the frightening look on Hollie's face, noticing that others in the Great Hall were also laughing. At least her anger was directed at someone else and not towards Dominic, which effectively included me.

I really should consider getting a new friend.

Standing up along with Dominic to head over to the end of the Gryffindor table, I watched with some concern, but mostly amusement, as Hollie reached Remus and his house friends, wand in her left hand, which she pointed at Sirius Black.

"Think your brother had anything to do with it," Dominic asked me as we watched Professor McGonagall get up from the head table, rushing around it and towards Hollie, who looked like she was about to magically blow up the head of one cocky looking Sirius.

I wouldn't have been laughing if I had been in his place –it was just her anger that was holding her back from recalling any of the unusual curses and jinxes her father had taught her.

"Why so mad, Hollie," James pushed himself to his feet, having been sitting next to Sirius, to stand next to Hollie, effectively putting her in a situation to choose who to kill first, "You actually look quite pretty with orange streaked hair."

"I really doubt Remus had anything to do with it," I looked over at Dominic, who shrugged in slight doubt, "He knows better than to mess with your sister's hair."

"_Hijo de tu –"_

"Miss Belledrex," McGonagall interrupted what would have clearly been some interesting choice words, being that Hollie could cuss like a Spanish sailor gone on leave, "Please give me your wand. You will be dealing with this in a lady like manner."

I coughed as I tried to swallow back a laugh, trying to remember when Hollie had dealt with anger in a lady like manner. It was Aunt Jess' constant fight, trying to make Hollie into a refined and contained mannerly young lady but unfortunately, she had more Belledrex than Voinovich in her.

"Right," Hollie's face was turning red as she nodded at McGonagall, handing over her wand without a word of protest.

I had to wonder if maybe Aunt Jess was indeed succeeding…NOPE!

Hollie turned quickly on her heel, driving a fist into Sirius's face, those of us fortunate to be near enough heard the crunch as his nose broke, blood gushing down to stain his school robes, a moan escaping his previously cocky looking mouth as he cupped his hands over a quickly swelling nose.

Without much pause, she turned and drove her fist into James' stomach, causing him to double over in pain, which seemed to encourage her to drive her knee up into his face, effectively breaking his nose too.

"Holy shit," I muttered in surprise, trying to recall if Dominic had ever told me about his sister's ability to fight like a boy, "Dominic –"

"She's a first degree black belt," Dominic's voice carried a hint of pride as he crossed his arms over his chest, "And she was holding back."

"Holding back," I looked away from the bleeding duo to watch at a sputtering McGonagall, smiling at the groans and laughs as the other students watched Sirius and James, quickly becoming famous pranksters, getting their asses handed to them by a girl.

"Yes," Dominic frowned as McGonagall, red in the face, turned towards Hollie, who looked like she wanted to cause more harm, "She could have killed them…she happens to know how. I tell you…frightening girl."

I nodded as McGonagall scolded Hollie.

"I have never…that is no way for a lady to act!"

"Screw that! Look what they did to my hair!" Hollie turned to McGonagall, still shaking with anger and I knew without a doubt Hollie was looking at –at the least –four days of detention. No one talked to McGonagall like that.

"Regardless of what Mr. Potter and Mr. Black did to your hair, you do not have a right to cause physical harm to someone else…especially in that manner. You have one week of detention and I will be writing to your parents."

"One week?! They are not worth one week of detention," Hollie went rigid, her face going white and I knew it was due to McGonagall's mention of writing to Uncle Chris and Aunt Jess…when it came to discipline, Aunt Jess wasn't a softy.

"Continue with your behavior and I will make it two weeks," McGonagall cocked an eyebrow, watching as Hollie clamped her mouth shut, her arms stiff at her sides, hands still balled into tight fists…which I now knew were lethal.

McGonagall handed back her wand, turning to look at James and Sirius, "Mr. Potter and Mr. Black…I would like to see you in my office after classes are done. Meanwhile, please go to Madam Pomfrey…you are both still bleeding. Everyone else, take a seat and continue with your breakfast."

I turned to follow after Dominic but not before I saw Remus laughing into his napkin.

My eyes narrowing in sudden doubt, I watched as he did his best to compose himself as Hollie sat down across the table from him, suddenly looking forlorn as the anger drained out of her, taking the bookbag handed to her by the dark haired first year with the big blue eyes.

Shaking my head, I grabbed a piece of toast and my book bag, deciding to head out of the Great Hall and towards my first class, which was double Herbology, while Dominic stayed behind to flirt some more with Evie.

Could it be that my brother, Hollie's champion and loyal best friend, had something to do with what had happened this morning?

I wondered if I would ever find out.

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_3__RD__ Person _

The Gryffindor first year girls were heading towards their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, trying to cut through the crowd of students in the hallway that were stopping to gawk at them.

"I wish they would stop staring," Hollie muttered, reaching up to tug at a bright orange curl, "I can't believe whatever charm they used hasn't worn off yet. When I see those two in the common room tonight, I'm gonna make them take the charm off even if I have to beat them to do it."

"Will you stop whining about your hair already?"

Hollie, Lily and Robin turned towards a surly looking Sam as they walked down the hallway, nearing the corner they would turn at to reach their classroom.

"What's got your wand in a knot," Hollie couldn't help but sneer as Sam turned to glare at her.

"What's got my –" Sam's face turned a dull red with suppressed anger, "How about you woke me up at seven thirty in the morning screaming like a bloody banshee, didn't even apologize for blaming me for something I didn't do, made me miss my morning shower due to your overdramatic tendencies and then –"

Sam's tirade got cut off as they rounded the corner and she ran into a fifth year Slytherin, accidentally knocking the books in his hands to the floor.

"Watch where you're going," he snarled as he bent down to pick up his books.

"I'm so sorry," Sam stammered as she bent down to help him. He stood up, snatching his books out of her hands.

"Don't touch my stuff," his pale eyes raked over her before he looked right into her face with a nasty look on his, "You filthy mudblood."

Sam's eyebrows lowered as she took a step back, not sure what that meant but knowing by the tone of his voice and the look on his face that it had been a nasty insult but before she could do or say anything in reply, Hollie shoved herself between them.

"You apologize," she glared up at him, dropping her book bag to the ground, hands balled into fists at her sides, "Now."

"Why should I," he sneered down at Hollie, his pale pointy face gloating with superiority, "It's the truth. She's a filthy little mudblood. And you –defending her- are nothing but a bloodtra –"

He didn't finish because Hollie had hauled off and hit him, her tiny fist effectively breaking his nose, a pleased smile on her face as he dropped his books, hands cupped over his nose, his eyes watering in pain.

"Miss Belledrex!"

They all turned as the Dark Arts professor stalked towards them, his robes billowing out behind him.

"You have one week of detention for attacking Mr. Malfoy."

"He called Sam a mud –"

"I don't care if he called her a cow you have no right to hit him. And being that he's a prefect, I'm taking fifty points from Gryffindor."

"What?!"

"Another fifty from Gryffindor. Would you like to continue?"

Hollie ground her teeth, jaw rigid as she glared at Professor McPatterson, "No sir."

"Good. Now all of you –into the classroom."

Hollie grabbed her book bag and stomped past him, her back rigid with anger, Sam following behind her along with Lily and Robin.

"Hollie," Sam whispered as she took her seat next to Lily and behind Robin, who sat next to Hollie, "Why did you hit him?"

"Why did I –" Hollie whipped around in her seat to give Sam an open mouthed stare, "He called you a mudblood!"

"Yeah," Sam gave her a confused look as she arranged her pen next to her notebook, "What does that mean?"

Hollie looked at her, turning her eyes to Lily, realizing how little either one of them knew about the dark side of the wizarding world.

"It's a term used by those who are prejudice against Muggle-borns. People like You-Know-Who and his followers," Hollie couldn't help but look away, "It's terribly offensive."

"But what does it mean," Sam pressed, leaning forward on her desk as Professor McPatterson closed the door, the class about to start.

Hollie turned to face the front of the classroom but not before answering:

"It means dirty blood."

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**AN: **Hello everyone! So this chapter took a little longer to post than we thought. Sorry about that! Chapter 16 is already underway and hopefully it will be finished soon. In the meantime, please review!!


	17. Questions and More Questions

******Disclaimer:** All characters except for Hollie, Sam and a few others are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are not receiving profit for our story.

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**Questions and More Questions**

_Lily's POV _

I stared down at my Transfiguration text book, the letters swimming before my eyes. For some strange reason, what had happened earlier with the fifth year Slytherin kept coming back to me, not allowing me to concentrate.

Closing the book, I leaned back against the headboard of my bed, watching my roommates as they did their things. Sam was lying on her stomach across Robin's bed, copying her History of Magic notes while Robin, lying next to her in a similar fashion, flipped through some fashion magazine Hollie had gotten from her mother.

Turning my head, I could see Hollie in the bathroom standing before the mirror, glowering at her reflection. Interestingly, instead of fading, her hair seemed to have gotten brighter throughout the day, the orange almost turning to a bright yellow.

Pushing off my bed, I moved to the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe and watched Hollie as she tugged at her hair. Unfortunately for her, and fortunately for James and Sirius, the boys hadn't been in the common room once classes and dinner was over, probably hiding up in their room to keep from getting another beating from Hollie.

"Hols…"

Hollie turned to look at me, a slightly puzzled smile on her face and I realized it was because I was using the nickname that Remus and the boys used for the first time. Smiling back at her, I turned to look at her reflection in the mirror, unable to look straight into her face.

"About what happened earlier today –"

"Do not tell me I should apologize to those prats," Hollie muttered darkly as she turned back to her hair, her eyes narrowing in anger, "They don't deserve an apology. What they deserve is another broken bone or two…each."

"No, I'm not talking about Potter and Black," I shifted on my feet as I bit my bottom lip, "I was referring to later…with the Slytherin –"

"You mean Lucius Malfoy," Hollie sighed as she grabbed her brush and pulled it through her curls, grimacing at the varying shades from red to pale yellow, some of her own mahogany brown still in there, "What about him?"

"Is he…typical…of all Purebloods?"

Hollie turned to look at me, a look of offense on her face, "Lily, not everyone who's a Pureblood agrees with You-Know-Who and his twisted logic concerning Muggle-borns. Take my father, for example. He's a Pureblood, through and through. His family line goes all the way back to Merlin, probably. I know Mum's does. Anyway, Daddy would rather die than ever support or even spout off what You-Know-Who's pushing. He thinks anyone who has magic in them, no matter how remote it may be, has the right to learn how to use it. Daddy would never follow You-Know-Who. And don't think You-Know-Who wouldn't be interested in getting my father on his side. Not only is Daddy Head Auror but he's also very well trained in what close-minded bigoted people call Dark Magic. In all reality, Daddy, along with Uncle Matt, would be a great addition to You-Know-Who's ranks, but they wouldn't join for anything. And I mean anything."

"Your father…" I couldn't help but shudder as I recalled some things I've heard and read, "Can do Dark Magic?"

"First off, it's not Dark Magic," Hollie rounded on me, her face set into a serious look, "There's no such thing as Light or Dark Magic. Magic is magic. It's the wizard's ability to handle it that makes it good or bad. My father is a very powerful wizard…mostly because he can handle his magic without corrupting it or letting it corrupt him. Daddy is very responsible about what he uses and what he teaches me. He also knows that some people can't seem to comprehend the truth about magic and that's why he holds back, not because it's wrong, but because there are too many people who can't or won't understand."

"Your father teaches you things," Sam asked and I turned to see that she and Robin had been paying attention to our conversation, "Aside from what they teach here at Hogwarts?"

"Daddy teaches me things they would never teach here at Hogwarts," Hollie turned back to look into the mirror, her nose scrunching in disgust at the fact that the charm was still going strong, "Durmstrang is a little more rounded in their magical education. A lot of people in the wizarding world think that most Dark Wizards come from Durmstrang for that reason but that's not true. Daddy found out from Professor Dumbledore that You-Know-Who was a Hogwarts student once."

"You-Know-Who came to Hogwarts," I stared at her in shock as I tried to comprehend that new bit of knowledge.

"Yes," Hollie turned to look at me, a guarded look on her face, "He was in Slytherin. There's not a witch or wizard that hasn't gone bad that wasn't in Slytherin."

"I know why you're giving me that look," I couldn't help but feel on the defensive as I crossed my arms over my chest, "I wanted to ask you about Malfoy, not Sev."

"Sev," Hollie gave me a small smile filled with mockery before she turned to look into the mirror, "Sure is nicer than what the boys came up with."

"Just because Sev is in Slytherin doesn't mean he's like Malfoy," I couldn't help but feel the need to defend the first friend I had made that was a part of this new world of mine, "He's friends with me after all."

"True," Hollie plunked the brush into the basket on the shelf with her name on it before walking out of the bathroom, "That alone should make me realize he's not into that Pureblood crap Malfoy so obviously likes to roll in, but for some reason, I don't feel confident about him. Snape hangs onto Malfoy's every word…he's always sitting next to Malfoy during meals. Do you not notice that?"

"How do you notice that," Robin pushed herself into a sitting position, turning to watch as Hollie moved towards her side of the dorm room.

"I notice a lot of stuff," Hollie giggled as she fell back into her bed, kicking off her bright pink Converse sneakers…I think she had a pair each of every color imaginable, "One of Daddy's Aurors, his name's Moody, has this thing about seeing everything around you. Constant vigilance. He says it all the time, it kind of sticks in your head…and in Daddy's. Remember that letter he sent along with the Daily Prophet a few weeks back?"

"Yeah," Robin crossed her legs, reaching up to braid her long black hair.

"Daddy mentioned constant vigilance fifteen times in three pages," Hollie pulled a book out of the drawer of her bedside table, "I counted. He thinks that You-Know-Who might eventually get the idea to take over Hogwarts. But everyone knows there's no way that would happen."

"Why wouldn't it," I moved to sit on Hollie's trunk which was pushed up against the footboard of her bed, "What I read about him mentioned that he had a lot of powers most people weren't even aware of."

"Everybody knows You-Know-Who is afraid of Dumbledore," Hollie pushed herself into a sitting position against the headboard, her bright colored hair falling around her shoulders as she pulled her knees up to her chest, "And Dumbledore would never let him get close to this school or it's students. I think that may be one of the reasons why Daddy agreed to have me come to Hogwarts instead of sending me to Beauxbatons."

I stared at her, wondering what about Dumbledore could possible frighten someone as frightening as this psychotic madman that everyone else feared, even going as far as not saying his name.

"You wanted to ask me something about Malfoy," Hollie tilted her head to the side, tucking her book between her knees before she wrapped her arms around her jean clad legs, her chin resting against her knees.

"Yeah," I shook my head as I focused on her, trying to remember what I had wanted to ask, "He was about to call you something before you hit him."

"Blood traitor," Hollie grimaced in distaste as a bright yellow curl swung into her face, "Another offensive term…this one's used for Pureblood families that don't believe in what You-Know-Who is pushing. Families like the Belledrexes and the Lupins. Like the Weasleys, the Prewetts, the Bones, the Diggorys, the Potters, the Woods, the Spinnets, the Longbottoms…there's a lot of families out there that won't support You-Know-Who…families that are fighting for justice and truth."

I stared out the window, trying to figure out what I had wanted to ask Hollie but for the life of me, the question had flown right out of my head. I turned just as Hollie grabbed her waist length hair, drawing it over her shoulder as she stared at it glumly.

"I wish this stupid charm would wear off," Hollie muttered as she continued to stare at the mass of red, yellow, orange, brown curls, "I just want it back to its normal color. I wonder if…"

I watched her as she closed her eyes, her face placid as she concentrated…on what, I did not know.

"Bloody hell!" I exclaimed along with Sam and Robin as Hollie's hair slowly turned into its natural mahogany brown, a smile on her face as she looked at the shiny brown curls spilling over her shoulder and down her arm.

"Piece of cake," she whispered under her breath as she fingered a fat curl, "I should have done that this morning."

"Hollie," I stood up, moving around her bed to sit on Robin's, all three of us staring at her, "How did you do that?"

Hollie avoided looking at us as she pulled her book from between her knees, tugging at the hem of the bright pink cotton top she wore, "I didn't do anything. The charm must have worn off."

"But you said you should of done whatever you just did in the morning," Robin pointed out, giving Hollie a look that only she seemed to understand.

"Well," Hollie fidgeted, gnawing on her bottom lip before looking at us, "I kind of figured out what charm they had used and speeded up the process for it to wear off."

For some strange reason, I knew she was lying but couldn't figure out why.

* * *

_Remus' POV_

I did my best not to laugh at the look on James' and Sirius' faces when Hollie walked down the staircase to meet us for breakfast along with the other girls, her hair falling down her back in big curls…big mahogany brown curls.

"What the hell happened to your hair," James jumped over the couch to reach out and finger a curl, but Hollie slapped his hand away. Apparently, she was still a little miffed at what James and Sirius had done.

"The charm wore off," Robin answered, giving Hollie a side glance as she placed her book bag on the couch.

Hollie gave James a look before she turned to glare at Sirius, "Why are you so surprised that it wore off?"

"Because we didn't put a charm on your hair," Sirius answered, looking like Christmas had been cancelled. I had to admit, their disappointment at the failure to ruin Hollie's hair was great entertainment.

"What did you put on my hair then," Hollie asked slowly, dropping her bag next to Robin's, her face going dark with anger. While she had her eyes on James and Sirius, I slowly stood up from the armchair and made my way towards the portrait opening, knowing that what was going to happen next had to be done.

"Well," James reached up to run his hand through his messy hair, messing it up even more, "We put peroxide on it."

Sam and Lily gasped along with Robin as Hollie stared at James, a perplexed look on her face.

"What's peroxide?"

"It's a Muggle disinfectant," Sirius answered, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black slacks as he looked towards me. I was standing right at the opening, poised to jump out and run as soon as Hollie was told the truth.

"Why did you put that on my hair?"

"We put it in your shampoo bottle," James sighed in regret as he looked at her hair, still confused as to what had happened, "When exposed to the sun, it bleaches hair. It's supposed to have been permanent. I don't understand how your hair's back to normal."

Hollie sucked in a breath as her eyes widened, her face going dark red with anger, "Who the hell came up with the brainless idea of permanently bleaching my hair?"

"Well," James looked at me, quirking an eyebrow to let me know it was time for me to start running, "Remus mentioned it…his mum mailed us a bottle about a month or so ago."

Hollie stared at James, simply gobsmacked at what he had just said. I knew she would understand why once I explained it to her but I also knew that wasn't going to happen until after she got her anger out…I just hoped she didn't hurt me too much.

I ran down the hallway, able to hear her coming after me. It was a good thing that the hallway was empty since it was still early in the morning, otherwise, I would have been bowling over students in my mad dash to escape the sure beating I was going to get from my best friend.

Turning a corner, I slipped on a puddle of water, falling to my knees, giving Hollie the opportunity to get closer as I quickly pushed myself up and continued running, looking over my shoulder, a grimace coming to my face when I saw how much closer she was now.

Running down the stairs, I couldn't help but pray fervently that the staircase move before she reached it but no such luck as I jumped over the last few steps, once again landing on my knees before pushing myself back on my feet, almost running parallel to the ground, sucking in a painful breath as I rounded another corner.

I had to find a classroom, quick, and hide before she caught up to me.

I let out a yell of surprise when I felt her hit me right above the knees, realizing with shock that she had actually tackled me to the ground.

"Hollie, wait!"

I tried to turn around but she had her knee on my back and for me to move, I would have to toss her off therefore hurt her and there was no way I was going to do that.

"You are a loathsome jerk," she yelled at me, her hands moving around my throat.

Oh great. She was going to choke me to death. How the hell was I going to explain why I did what I did when I wouldn't even be able to breathe?

"You're supposed to be my best friend," Hollie's voice wobbled a bit as I reached up to wrap my fingers around her wrists, which were so small my fingers overlapped.

"I am your best friend," I gasped as I pulled at her hands, doing my best not to squeeze too hard. I didn't want to break any bones.

"My best friend," Hollie pulled a hand away to smack me over the head, "My best friend wouldn't have done that. You would have forbidden James and Sirius to ever mess with my hair, not given them an idea how to permanently ruin it."

"That's what I did," I finally managed to roll over, quickly grabbing her hands as I sat before her on the ground to keep her from reaching out and hitting me, "Let me explain."

"No," Hollie gave me one of those looks that made me want to throw myself off the highest tower in Hogwarts, her black eyes shiny with unshed tears, "You helped them ruin my hair. How could you?"

"Hollie," I grimaced at the obvious pain on her face as a fat tear escaped the corner of her eye and rolled down her cheek, "They were planning on doing something horrid to your hair. James actually found some magic jinx to permanently ruin your hair. I couldn't let them do that because I knew there was no way for it to get fixed. So I suggested the peroxide. I knew that as long as it wasn't magical, you would be able to get it back to normal. I made them swear that this would be the last time they would ever mess with your hair because I knew it wouldn't last."

Hollie stared at me, her eyes still glazed over with pain, not so much at what had been done to her hair but because I had been involved and I hadn't told her.

"I know I should have told you," I reached out to wipe at a tear, "But you're not that good an actress, Hols. So I took the chance that you would listen to me first before beating the crap out of me. I'm sorry. But look on the bright side –James and Sirius will never mess with your hair again."

"How did you know I would be able to fix it," Hollie sniffed as she tugged her hands away from mine, pushing her hair out of her face and behind her shoulders.

"Oh please," I pushed myself up onto my feet before reaching down to pull her up onto hers, "Like Uncle Chris would let you go untrained. We both know he's been training you on this since you were little. Being that it's a natural part of you, it makes sense."

"You didn't tell James and Sirius, did you," Hollie gave me a suspicious look, which I knew I deserved even though we both knew I would never betray her confidence.

"No," I shook my head as I reached up to try to tidy my hair, still breathing a little hard, noticing that Hollie hadn't even broken a sweat. Maybe I should start joining her on those morning runs of hers…it would help make sure she was safe, which Dad had mentioned over and over again in his letter, "I didn't tell them what you can do. Although I don't see why it's such a big deal for them to know."

"Because they would be nagging me all the time to show them," Hollie crossed her arms over her chest as she scuffed the toe of her shoe on the stone floor, "I'm sorry I tried choking you."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the peroxide," I reached out and pulled her into my arms, giving her a tight hug before pulling back, "Although I am surprised you didn't figure out that you could fix it yourself as soon as it happened."

"I didn't think you had anything to do with it," she wrinkled her nose, leaning her head against my shoulder, "It finally occurred to me last night that I may be able to change it back."

"Well, I'm glad it didn't take you long," I gave her one last squeeze before pulling back, "I promise next time something like this happens, I'll tell you about it."

"You best not let it happen again," Hollie looked up at me, a watery smile on her face, "I know it's stupid to care about it, but…it's my hair."

"I know, Hols," I smiled at her, tucking her under my arm as we turned towards the Great Hall for breakfast, "That's why I risked getting a beating from you. At least James and Sirius will no longer mess with your hair. That makes it all worth it, right?"

"I suppose," Hollie grimaced as she looked ahead. I turned to look, a similar grimace appearing on my face as we were approached by a winded Filch.

"You two –"Filch took a deep breath, his chest heaving, "Running in the hallways –fighting –public display of affection –" Filch grasped his chest, taking a deep breath "One week of attention for both of you."

"What!" Hollie stepped away from me, giving me a glare.

"Hollie," I grimaced as she elbowed me in the stomach before turning away and walking to the Great Hall by herself, her back rigid with anger.

Turning back to Filch, I shrugged as he looked from Hollie to me, "We're sorry for running in the hallways."

"Yes, you will be," Filch's face lit up with a nasty smile before he walked away, his annoying cat, Mrs. Norris, following close at his heels.

Hanging my head, I knew it was not going to be pleasant. Not the week of detention that Filch had given out, but whatever Hollie came up with to pay me back for causing her to get yet another week of detention.

All I could really hope for at this point would be that Aunt Jess wouldn't ground Hollie for the entire summer break, which was only four months away. Otherwise, Hollie was going to make my life miserable for a long time.


	18. Potions and Punches

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and other characters who are not found in the books…there are too many of them to mention here… are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are receiving no profit for our story.

**AN: ****We're sorry it has taken us so long to update. When the last chapter was posted, parts of this chapter were already written and we meant to update sooner. Sadly my computer decided to crash on me...the stupid thing. Obviously that delayed us. When we started working on this chapter again, we thought you deserved a longer one because it's been awhile since an update. It is now the longest chapter we've posted. So be prepared for a long read and enjoy!**

* * *

**Potions and Punches**

The silence dominating the girls' dormitory was unusual but necessary as they each studied for the upcoming end of term exam.

Lily flipped through her Transfiguration notes, making additions to the already obsessively organized notes. Robin, on the other hand, was trying to make sense of her History of Magic notes, rewriting them in a semblance of order that would be most helpful. Sam was flipping back and forth through her star charts and Astrology book, her forehead crinkled in concentration as she tried to memorize the necessary steps to foretell the position of the stars a month from tomorrow.

Hollie herself was muttering under her breath, her mouth compressed into a tight line as she went through her Potions book, literally ripping pages out of her notebook, trying to make sense of the instructions necessary for the sleeping draft and other first year potions that had been part of the school year.

_Hollie's POV_

I couldn't help grit my teeth as I wrote down a note to remind myself that I had to stir the potion for a sleeping draft seven times counterclockwise, each turn lasting seven seconds, otherwise, the potion would bubble over and burn holes through the wooden table and my black leather loafers.

Flipping the page to the next potion that Professor Slughorn stated would be on the final exam, I grimaced in remembrance, jotting down a quick note as a reminder to slice the green pods ten seconds before putting them into the potion or risk losing another cauldron.

Moving onto another potion, I couldn't help exhaling in frustration as I made another annotation. This time, I underlined unicorn hair on the step to splice unicorn hair before adding it to the potion. Eunuch hair would cause the potion to turn bright orange right before exploding sky high.

"Enough," I slammed my Potions book shut, shoving it away along with my notebook and pens, "I'm gonna take a break, see what the guys are doing."

"You sure you should do that," Lily looked up from her notes, wand in hand as she transfigured a match into a shiny pointed needle, "Final exams are in four weeks. You still have all the other classes to study."

"I can pass all of my exams with one hand tied behind my back," I muttered as I reached under the bed for my red Converse sneakers, "Except for Potions. But I'm sure I'll do fine."

"Then why are you failing Potions," Robin asked off-handedly as she shifted around her bed, knocking over her ink well, "Crap."

"Robin," I whipped around to glare at her, "That was a secret!"

"Sorry," Robin looked at me with wide blue eyes, sincere in her apology, "It just slipped out. Besides, maybe they can help you figure out what to do about Slughorn's ultimatum."

"Ultimatum," Lily picked up her needles from her bed and placed them on the bedside table, "What ultimatum?"

"She needs to get top marks on her final exam to be able to pass Potions at all," Robin grimaced as I send her another glare, "Sorry."

Heaving a sigh, I quickly tied my shoelaces, "He suggested I get a tutor but I can't find someone willing to tutor me right now, what with everyone getting ready for the exams. I mean, they're all only a month away."

"Sev can do it," Lily suggested as she pushed her Transfiguration notes aside and moved on to Astronomy, "He's passing Potions with top marks."

"Snivellus," I couldn't help chuckle, "Yeah right. He's a jackass and a total jerk. Besides, James would jinx me if he saw me spending time with him."

"His name is Severus," Lily shook her head, her red ponytail whipping in righteous anger on behalf of her friend, "I wish you and those stupid boys would stop calling him Snivellus."

"Oh relax Lil," I pulled out a fresh white cotton top from my wardrobe, "They're just having fun."

"They're evil," Lily snapped, pulling out a feather quill from her book bag, "Well, except for Remus. He couldn't be evil if he tried."

"Oh, he can be very evil when he tries," I muttered as I pulled on the white cotton top to replace the big t-shirt I had been wearing, "He's almost gotten me killed several times."

"How so," Robin reached under her bed and pulled out a sock, wiping at the ink on her bedspread with it.

"Forget that," Lily spread out her star charts length wise on her bed, "You have to get yourself a tutor and fast, Hollie, otherwise you'll be held back in Potions. How embarrassing is it going to be, you taking Potions with the first-years next year?"

"Yuck," I muttered, flopping down onto my bed, "Definitely don't want to do that."

"Then I'll ask Sev to tutor you," Lily smiled at me as she opened her Astronomy book, "If you two meet every day until the final exam, I'm sure you'll get top marks on it."

"I am not going to have Snivellus tutor me," I stood up to stare at Lily, fisted hands on my hips, "Don't you dare even ask him. I'd rather repeat Potions than have Snive –fine! Severus Snape tutor me everyday for the next four weeks."

"Then I guess that's what you'll be doing next year because, sorry if the honesty hurts, you really suck at Potions," Lily flounced off the bed, grabbing her books before stomping out of the room.

"What's got her wand in a knot," I grabbed my curls and twisted them up before pinning them onto the top of my head, "It's not like she's failing the class."

"She was trying to help you," Robin threw the ink stained sock onto the floor, "And you weren't all that nice about it."

"Oh, come on, Robin," I turned to look at her, "This is Severus Snape we're talking about. He's creepy at best, an ass at worst. Besides, can you imagine what all the other Gryffindors will say when they find out one of us is being tutored by a Slytherin? If Snivellus were a Ravenclaw, or even a Hufflepuff, I'd take Lily up on it. But Slytherin? I don't think so."

"Well," Robin capped her ink well, placing it on the edge of her bedside table, "What are you going to do?"

"I'll figure it out," I shrugged, not all that concerned about the whole thing, "Now, if you two will excuse me, I'm gonna go find the boys and have some fun."

"And there's the reason she's failing Potions," Sam muttered under her breath as I opened the door, but instead of responding, I decided to let it go. Just this once.

* * *

Everyone was silent as we all quietly followed the instructions on the black board. Biting my bottom lip, I slowly pulled the lace wings off the flies, trying not to breathe too hard. I had already lost a couple of wings because of that.

"Hollie, I think that's enough wings," Remus held out his hand, a small pile of lacewings in the center, "We only need like fifteen. I think we have about thirty."

"Enough lacewings in case we have to do the potion all over again," I muttered as I dropped my last wings onto Remus' hand, tossing the dried up body of the flies to the side.

"Which, with you, is highly likely to happen," Remus grabbed a piece of paper, folding it one handed before placing the wings in the middle, "There, they won't fly away."

I couldn't help the chuckle as I looked into our shared cauldron, watching the bubbles popping and bobbing, "Remus…"

"What," Remus ran his finger over the instructions he had copied, making a notation of the last step we had completed.

"What color is the potion suppose to be at this point," I bit my lip as I took the stirring stick, tugging at it as I tried to stir, "And how thick is it suppose to be?"

"It should be pale blue," Remus leaned over my shoulder, grimacing as I futilely continued to tug at the stick, "And I don't think it's supposed to be that thick."

"I don't know what happened," I tugged harder, wincing when the stick broke, the stirring end stuck in the cement that had become our potion.

"You," Remus shook his head as he raised his hand to get Professor Slughorn's attention, "You are what happened, Hols."

"What did you do with the remains of your lace flies, Miss Belledrex," Slughorn frowned as he looked down at the potion in their cauldron.

"Uh," I looked around our worktable, quickly peeking under the table, "Tossed them aside, Professor. We weren't going to need them."

"I believe you tossed them into your cauldron," Slughorn shook his head, wondering if he had ever had a student more inept at potions than Hollie Belledrex, "I'd like you to stay after class, Miss Belledrex. You too Miss Parker."

"What," Sam's head snapped up, her hand still over the flask where she had been pouring her finished potion, "What did I do?"

"Nothing. I just have something to discuss with you pertaining to Miss Belledrex."

I frowned as Professor Slughorn waved his hand over my cauldron, making the remains of our potion disappear before I turned to glare at Sam.

Sam shrugged, giving me an equally hateful glare before she turned back to what she was doing.

Heaving a sigh, I turned back to our worktable, wondering what the hell I was going to do. Four weeks away I was going to have to make one of the many potions we had gone over during the school year…looking over at Remus, I couldn't hold back the groan as he voiced my realization.

"You are screwed."

* * *

_Third Person_

Trying not to roll his eyes at the obvious dislike between his two students, Slughorn shuffled the papers on his desk, carefully placing the crystal flasks containing the finished potions of his students into a bottom drawer.

Finally sitting down, he looked up to find Miss Belledrex and Miss Parker standing by his desk on opposite ends.

Oh, the angst of young adolescents.

"Miss Belledrex," Slughorn readjusted the papers on his desk, "Have you found a solution to your problem?"

"Well," Hollie shifted her weight, "I've been giving it some thought and…I don't think there's anyone available…I can always ask my brother –"

"Your brother," Slughorn tried to hold back a snort, "He barely passed his Potions' OWLs. I don't think he would do you any good."

"I could ask Alex Lupin," Hollie's face flushed as she twirled a curl around her forefinger.

"You can't ask any of the seventh years you might know, they are all preparing for NEWTs," Slughorn narrowed his eyes as Hollie shrugged, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, "I've taken the matter into my own hands, Miss Belledrex and found you a tutor."

"Not Snive –I mean, Severus Snape," Hollie muttered, shoving her hands into the pockets of her robe.

"No, not Severus Snape, although he is at the top of the class. I've chosen Miss Parker, who's not far behind Mr. Snape."

"What!" Hollie turned to Sam, wondering why Sam wasn't surprised, "Did you know about this?"

"No," Sam rolled her eyes, refusing to look at Hollie, "But I put two and two together. Why else would he ask me to stay after class and talk about your need for a tutor?"

"I don't want her –"

"Miss Belledrex," Slughorn interrupted, giving Hollie a stern look, "You don't have a choice."

"What about me," Sam crossed her arms, a mutinous look on her face, "I have top marks. What do I get out of tutoring her?"

"Miss Parker, I know you'll be able to take your petty differences and put them aside," Slughorn pushed himself to his feet, "As for a reward…you won't have to take the final exam."

Sam raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Hollie, who was looking slightly purple…was she breathing?

"Fine," Sam shifted, uncrossing her arms and trying to let go of the tension inside of her, "But she's not allowed to do any pranks during tutoring sessions."

"Miss Belledrex," Slughorn turned to look at her, cocking a bushy eyebrow in a questioning manner.

Hollie turned to look at Sam, "Why not ask me to stop them altogether?"

"I don't think you're capable," Sam gave her a little side smile, "Besides, I owe you one."

Hollie gave her a narrow eyed look, "You're not allowed to do pranks during tutoring sessions either."

"Fine," Sam shrugged, turning her eyes back to Slughorn.

"Good, good," Slughorn stepped around his desk, "I suggest you two meet every day for the next two weeks. After that, it is up to you Miss Parker. I'm sure you can start today so off with you two."

He stood there, watching as they grabbed their book bags, walking out of the classroom, neither looking at the other.

Oh, the angst of young adolescents.

* * *

_Sam's POV_

_Two Weeks Later_

It was finally time to put my prank in action. A part of me knew it showed my own lack of maturity. However, I couldn't help but wonder which one showed more immaturity, the one who couldn't even grasp the idea of fairness and being even or the one who was simply retaliating out of self-preservation. The answer to me was quite simple…the first one.

While I had loved Sirius' idea to wait to pull the prank thus putting Hollie in an edgy mood, it also turned out to be quite handy. I had gotten stuck in the planning process and needed the time to figure things out. I knew what I wanted to do but how to correct it remained a mystery. After starting the Potions tutoring sessions with Hollie, I quickly found the solution. If I gave her the ingredients and instructions on the antidote, Hollie could reverse the effects of the prank.

She just needed a little push.

But forget the push…I was thinking that what Hollie actually needed to gain some confidence in Potions was a shove. It seemed a little cruel but sometimes the best way to learn something was to be thrown into it...much like I did at the beginning of the year. After two and a half weeks of daily tutoring sessions, it was time for her to sink or swim. I had confidence in her…if only for the reason that Hollie was stubborn. She wouldn't let herself fail and if she needed it, I would help...if she'd let me…it was doubtful that she would ask me for help.

I would have to keep an eye on her and offer... although she probably wouldn't trust me enough to accept.

I sighed, wishing things were different. I had wanted Hollie to be my friend. Someone I could talk to about the visions. She was the only person that could understand the craziness of it. I knew what we saw was different but there was still a small similarity even if she refused to see it.

We both saw possibilities of the future. By looking someone in the eye, we saw things that weren't really there. It didn't matter to me that I saw the good things in life. I didn't want to. I didn't want to see anything. I just wanted to be normal…as normal as a twelve year old witch could be.

But no, Hollie decided to hate me. I didn't hate her but that was the path she had chosen and I was forced to walk it. We were tied together because we were both Oracles, even if Hollie refused to acknowledge it. I doubted it would end after Hogwarts. If any of my visions came true, we would be intertwined for the rest of our lives…and from my point of view life would be so much easier, and more enjoyable, if we were friends.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

I gnawed on my bottom lip, carefully crushing the green pods with my silver dagger, noticing with satisfaction that more juice came out that way.

The last two weeks under Sam's tutelage had been interesting…something I wasn't planning on telling Sam.

She had turned out to be a pretty good tutor, not once making me feel stupid, something I appreciated a lot because I hated feeling stupid.

"Alright, now make sure you have exactly one ounce…any more than that and we'll have a catastrophe on our hands," Sam watched as I transferred the slimy green liquid from my cutting board to a tiny silver thimble, using the edge of my silver dagger to scrape it off the wooden surface, "Haven't had one of those in ten days…kinda miss them."

"They were entertaining," Sam watched as I read the next set of instructions, stopping me before I dumped the whole ounce at once, "Hollie, remember you're supposed to do exactly as the instructions say. No taking shortcuts."

"Ugh," I placed the thimble back on the table, grabbing a pipette from my selection of potion-making tools, "I don't get having to add it drop by drop when in the end, it's all going in."

"Yes, but when you add it drop by drop, it won't boil over," Sam watched with satisfaction as I stirred counter-clockwise once after every third drop, "You're doing really well."

"No need to sound so surprised," I sucked up the rest of the juice into the pipette, dropping the last three drops into the simmering potion, stirring counter-clockwise three times, "I can do this…if I put my mind into it."

"I think that's the problem," Sam pulled out the cork stopper from a leather flask, handing it to me, "Your mind seems to move so fast you're like three or four steps ahead of the instructions which has been proven can be dangerous," Sam watched as I intently poured the finished potion into the leather flask, "You're going to have to be slow, on purpose. Just take one step at a time…especially when there are instructions that have three steps in one. You don't have to do them all at the same time…or find shortcuts."

I slowly pushed the cork back into the flask before handing it to Sam, "Well, that's something I'll have to remind myself time and again…and as long as the final exam isn't timed, I should be fine."

"Even if it were timed, I think you'll be fine," Sam placed a pot filled with pink tulips onto the table, taking a clean pipette from her own tools to suck up a few drops of the potion left in the cauldron.

Squeezing a drop onto each flower, she smiled as they shrunk into tiny little flowers no bigger that my fingernails, "Congratulations, Hollie, you've successfully completed a shrinking potion."

I let out a big whoop of victory, throwing my arms around Sam in a hug without giving it any thought, "I did it! I actually completed a potion without blowing up the castle!"

I pulled back, looking into the cauldron, trying not to make a big deal of the fact that I had just hugged my arch nemesis, "Think I can keep the rest of this shrinking potion?"

Sam carefully labeled the leather flask before turning a narrow-eyed look towards me, "Why?"

"James and Sirius…I owe them one," I shrugged as I scooped the last of the potion into a smaller leather flask, "Haven't figured out what to do to them yet but it would be nice to have this when I come up with something."

"Alright," Sam moved across the classroom to place the labeled flask on Slughorn's desk, "But if you use it on me –"

"That's been settled," I muttered, tucking the flask into a side pocket of my book bag, "It's been two weeks and I've behaved."

"That's true. You have," Sam placed her books and supplies into her book bag, "You've improved a lot, Hollie. I think you'll do brilliantly on the final exam."

"Thanks," I finished packing my things into my book bag before turning to look at Sam, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, "You're…you're a good tutor Sam. Thanks for helping me…even though you didn't really have a choice."

"True…I also have one less final exam to take."

"No need to brag," I shook my head, trying not to smile. I had come to realize in the last two weeks that Sam was a rather likeable girl, "Anyway, thanks. I need to go meet with Remus…to study Charms."

"Right," Sam smiled at me before walking away, heading towards the staircase.

I stared after her for a few minutes, wishing things could be different…but although a friendship with Sam would make life easier, possibly even enjoyable, I was sure it could no longer work…not when I've done everything possible to push her away…

It hadn't crossed my mind on that first day that I may actually like her.

Now I had to live with my decision to alienate her.

Oh well.

* * *

_Sam's POV_

_1st Floor Girls' Bathroom_

"Sam, what are you doing in here?"

Remus' voice echoing throughout the empty bathroom interrupted my concentration.

No one was supposed to be here.

"What am I doing here? What are you guys doing here? This is the girls' bathroom."

"No one comes in here. That's why you're here right? Or have you never noticed it?" James responded already knowing the answer to his questions. He probably hoped I wouldn't notice that he really didn't answer my question.

"I bet she's working on her next prank for Hollie," Sirius said with a grin. He had been waiting months to see what I would come up with in retaliation to Hollie's Christmas prank.

With curiosity displayed on their faces, they walked over and peered into the cauldron.

"So what does this potion do?"

Sirius cocked a questioning eyebrow to go along with his question.

"I'm not going to tell you. You're going to have to wait like everyone else," I teased him, knowing that he was one of the many who enjoyed the entertainment the prank war between myself and Hollie inadvertently provided, but that didn't mean I was going to let him know anything.

Sirius paused, thinking of something, "You know, you didn't have to wait until the end of term to take revenge…although it has been interesting to watch Hollie continuously looking over her shoulder."

I couldn't help but smile. It had worked out well. Hollie had gotten a little paranoid.

"You guys still haven't answered my question. What are you doing in the girls' bathroom?"

"I did answer," James leaned against a sink, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "Nobody comes in here."

"Ah, I get it," I stirred the potion, still needing to add a few more ingredients to complete it, "You're doing the same thing I am…planning a prank unobserved…hold on! Hollie's not coming, is she?"

"No," Sirius chuckled at the look of alarm on my face, "There's a guys only clause when we come in here."

"A guys only clause," I looked at each of them nod, "In a girls' bathroom?"

"Once again," James gave me a look of insufferable patience, "Nobody comes in here."

"Which means that nobody knows," Remus turned to look at Sirius and James before looking back at me, "Except you."

"So, to keep our secret, we might have to kill you," Sirius shrugged as if it weren't that big a deal to suggest murdering me.

"Or we can swear her to secrecy," Remus leaned a shoulder against the side of a stall, giving me a smile that made my heart speed up.

I looked down into the cauldron, controlling my need to blush before looking up at James, able to see Remus staring at me out of the corner of my eye, "I much prefer being sworn to secrecy than murdered."

James shrugged, pulling out his wand from his back pocket, "Alright. Then let's do that."

"Hold on," I pushed myself to my feet, knowing in the back of my mind that my potion was safe to bubble away on its own for the next five minutes, "Hold on. What do you need a wand for?"

"To swear you into secrecy," James gave me another one of those looks meant to make me feel stupid…God, I hated twelve year old boys, "You know…cross your heart and hope to die."

"Is a wand really necessary for that," I stared at James, uncomfortable with the idea of a wand pointed at me…the last time that had happened had led me to being in the girls' bathroom with these boys.

"We'll modify the hope to die part," Remus gave me a sympathetic smile, "Maybe just…the word snitch will be written on your forehead if you tell?"

"Permanently," I squeaked, clearing my throat before continuing, "Once again, is the wand really necessary? Can't you just take my word for it?"

"Sorry, no," James shook his head along with Sirius, "You're a girl…girls are not to be trusted."

I stared at him, open mouthed in shock, "Excuse me?"

"Oh, don't get your wand all in a twist;" Sirius ran his fingers through his shaggy hair, pushing it out of his eyes, "You're better than most girls…"

"At times, even better than Hollie," Remus stopped abruptly, biting down on his lip before looking at me, "Please don't tell her I said that."

"I won't," I smiled at him, feeling slightly better after his comment, "As for the wand…if it really is necessary."

"It is," James nodded, pointing the wand at me, ignoring my look of worry, "Do you swear to never tell about us meeting in the girls' bathroom to plan pranks?"

I gave one last look at the wand, watching a small bead of white light gather at the tip, "I do."

I gasped softly as a soft white fog looking substance moved from James' wand towards me, slowly circling around me before it tightened before disappearing.

"There, it's done," James tucked his wand back onto his pants' pocket, "Now, pay attention to your potion…it's about to bubble over."

* * *

_3rd Person_

"Hey, did you guys hear?"

Alex looked up from the book he was reading, shaking his head at Dominic's total absorption as Evie approached them.

"Hear what," Dominic closed his book, forgetting to mark the page he had been reading.

"The International Quidditch team try-outs are going to be held next week," Evie sat next to Dominic, pushing her long wheat blonde hair behind her shoulder, "And Dumbledore's agreed to host them here."

"Here? At Hogwart's?" Dominic stared open mouthed at Evie for a few seconds before turning to Alex, "Alex –"

"Way ahead of you, mate," Alex slipped a bookmark in between the pages of his book, setting it aside, "Do you know what day next week? Hold on. Who told you about the try-outs?"

"Does it matter," Dominic tried not to glare at Alex but failed miserably.

"Yes, if your sister is behind it," Alex succeeded in keeping himself from rolling his eyes at Dominic's attempt at protecting Evie's delicate sensibilities.

"Ah, that's right," Dominic turned to smile at Evie, "Did my sister tell you about the trials?"

"Your sister hasn't said anything to me," Evie gave the boys a look that let them know she thought them strange, "My dad works at the Department of International Wizarding Games. He told me about the trials."

"Ah, there," Dominic turned to look at Alex, "So the try-outs are legit."

"So it would seem," Alex shoved his book into his bag, shouldering the leather bag as he stood up, "I just saw Remus, I'm going to catch up with him. He'll know if your sister has anything to do with this."

"Evie already said –"

"Are you seriously that thick, mate," Alex shook his head, trying not to laugh at the look of confusion on both Dominic and Evie's faces, "You, of all people, should remember what your sister can do."

Dominic's face cleared of all confusion but not so Evie's.

"What is he talking about," Evie turned to look at Dominic, her gray eyes still confused.

Alex took off without waiting for Dominic to answer, cutting across the courtyard to catch up with Remus and his friends.

"Hey Remy!"

Alex chuckled as Remus stopped in the middle of the hallway, turning around to glare at him, "I've told you not to call me Remy."

"Sorry kid, I forget," Alex punched him playfully on the shoulder, "Do you know where Hollie is?"

"Why do you want to know," Sirius asked, not letting Remus answer, "You planning on asking her out?"

"Eww," Remus grimaced, shoving a laughing James into Sirius.

"Agreed," Alex shoved his bag higher up on his shoulder, "She's six years younger than me. Anyway, the reason I'm asking is to make sure she hasn't found a way to trick me and Dominic."

"Oh, what trick," James moved to stand next to Remus.

"If it's not a trick, you'll find out," Alex gave him a quick smile before turning back to Remus, "Well? Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah," Remus cocked his head to the side, more than curious about his brother's interest in his best friend's whereabouts, "She's doing her last tutoring session with Sam in the Potion's classroom."

"So she's down in the dungeons?"

"Yes."

"Thanks Rem-us. See? Not so hard," Alex gave him another grin before heading the opposite way of where the Gryffindor boys had been going, looking across the courtyard to quickly check on Dominic and Evie –yep, there he was, looking ill at ease as she kept sliding closer to him.

No wonder, being that he wasn't even sure if Evie truly was the girl he had a crush on.

_In The Dungeons_

Hollie stuck the tip of her tongue between her teeth, carefully pouring the silvery liquid into the crystal vial, making sure she didn't overflow it.

Placing the ladle back into the cauldron, she took the little crystal stopper and pushed it gently into the vial before handing it Sam with a big smile.

"Congratulations," Sam took the vial and wrapped the label she had filled out with Hollie's name around it, "You have successfully completed every single potion you've screwed up all year."

"Really," Hollie stared at her in surprise for a few seconds before dancing a little jig, "I'm done! Yay!"

Sam laughed as she walked across the room, placing the vial on Slughorn's desk, "Yes, you are done with tutoring. You still have next week to prepare for the final exam…then, of course, the final exam. Just remember, I am willing to help if you need it."

"No offense, but I am just glad the tutoring is over," Hollie began to clean up the table of leftover ingredients, placing them all in their carefully labeled bags, "You're a great teacher and you've kept your promise not to do any pranks, as did I may I remind you, but I couldn't help feeling jumpy every time we met. Now I can relax."

"You can," Sam shoved her books into her bag, keeping her face down to hide the smile she couldn't stop, "Just remember, if you need help with a potion, just let me know."

"Nah, I think I can figure it out on my own," Hollie finished cleaning the table, quickly shoving her books and tools into her bag.

"That's what I wanted to hear," Sam gave her a big grin, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing; "Shall we go?"

"We shall," Hollie shouldered her bag and moved out of the classroom, Sam easily keeping stride with her slightly bouncier one as they climbed the circular staircase.

"Alex!" Hollie stopped midway up the staircase, watching wide eyed as Alex Lupin descended towards them, an easy smile on his face.

"Hey Hollie," Alex stopped a step above where Hollie and Sam stood.

"What are you doing here?"

"Actually…" Alex shifted his weight from one foot to the other, "I was…looking for you."

"You were," Hollie tried hard not to blush but knew from the heat in her face that she was failing…horridly, "Why?"

"Just to wish you luck on your finals," Alex shrugged, as if it weren't a big deal, "You too Sam."

"Thanks," Sam smiled at him before turning to look at Hollie, biting her lip to keep herself from laughing at the deep red stain on Hollie's cheeks.

Alex returned her smile before turning his eyes back to Hollie, "So…you've been down here…studying?"

"Yeah," Hollie fidgeted with the loose tie that hung crooked from her neck, "Our last tutoring session. Sam says I'll do great on the final."

"That's good," Alex grinned at her, "You have…something in your hair."

Hollie sucked in a breath as Alex brushed his fingers over her hair, pulling back with a butterfly wing held carefully between two fingers, "Oh. Sam and I were working on a giggling potion…you need butterfly wings for it…that's probably why…"

Hollie's voice tapered off to nothing as she took the colorful wing from Alex, her blush getting deeper as he grinned at her.

"Well, I need to go down and talk to Professor Slughorn so," Alex moved between them, shifting sideways to keep from bumping into either one of them, "I'll see you girls later."

Hollie leaned against the rock wall, staring after Alex until he disappeared around the curve of the staircase, a small sigh escaping her before Sam's laughter snapped her out of her revere.

"What," Hollie turned to look at her, pushing herself away from the wall and resuming climbing the stairs, Sam keeping step beside her.

"You have a crush on Remus' older brother," Sam laughed again as Hollie turned to glare at her.

"No I do not," Hollie took a deep breath, willing the lingering blush to go away.

"Yes you do! You just stared after him…and you sighed!"

"That means nothing," Hollie looked down at her hand, trying not to close it into a fist and crush the butterfly wing she held cupped within it.

"Sure it does…not that I blame you. He is awfully cute."

"Yeah," Hollie's voice was slightly breathy as she kept staring at her cupped hand, "He is."

"Ha! You are so smitten with him!"

"Smitten? I…you…not true," Hollie glared at Sam, shoving the strap of her book bag higher up her shoulder, "And besides, you'd be the last one I would talk to about this."

Hollie ran up the stairs, trying to ignore Sam's laughter echoing up the circular staircase.

Sam shook her head as she walked up the stairs, once again wishing she and Hollie could be friends. That girl was entertaining with a capital E…and the funny part was she didn't even try.

Oh well.

Now that the potion was complete, she had to time it just right...

That wasn't going to be as hard as finding a way to make it happen.

Then it would result in even more entertainment…without Hollie having to try.

* * *

_Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory_

_Hollie's POV_

"You're doing what," Lily stared at me, a bit shocked at my proposal.

"I'm going to pay back those boys and I need help…from all of you," I pushed myself off my knees, dropping the maroon dust ruffle, not having found my wand under my bed.

"Why would we want to get involved," Sam pushed her astronomy book to the side, wishing she could flush it down the toilet, "The boys haven't done anything to us."

I scoffed, opening my wardrobe, tossing out my shoes, all multicolored Converse sneakers, "I beg to differ. Your feet growing twice their size in Charms class. Remember that?"

"I thought that was you," Sam exclaimed, watching as I pulled all my clothes out of the closet and tossed them onto my bed.

"Nope," I looked up at her with a scowl, "Which means you turning my teddy bear into a hairy tarantula while I slept was not fair…"

"It was funny, though," Sam chuckled as she recalled the hysterics resulting in that particular prank of hers.

"Ha, ha, not so much," I turned, pulling open the drawers of my wardrobe, shifting through the socks and knickers, the hair ribbons and clips, the odds and ends I kept in the very bottom drawer. Shutting it, I turned to my bed table next.

"Okay, so they got Sam…and you. As for me and Robin –"

"How can you forget that they turned your skin blue?" I turned to stare in amazement at Lily, not believing she would forget such a humiliating day.

"Thanks a lot, Hollie," Lily grimaced in remembrance, shutting her Transfiguration book, "I have been trying to forget that all year…almost succeeded too."

"And you Robin –"

"They haven't done anything to me," Robin exclaimed, looking up from her History of Magic notebook. She had bombed the last test, a strange thing being she was usually good at History of Magic and now she was feeling slightly insecure about the final term.

"I beg to differ," I opened the single drawer in my bed table, rummaging through the pens and quills, pushing aside bits of paper and torn parchment, pulling out several pots of different colored ink yet unable to find my wand, "You lent your History of Magic notes to James two weeks before the last test…then you bombed the test. Why do you think that is?"

"He wouldn't….he'd never…" Robin felt a thick knot at the pit of her stomach as she stared down at her notes.

"My notebook is in there," I pointed at my book bag, which was resting precariously at the foot of my bed. I moved around the bed towards my trunk, kneeling as I threw it open, my search for my wand becoming slightly desperate, "You can compare your notes to mine…I copied yours before you lent them to James."

Robin leaned across the space between our beds, grabbing on to the bed post to keep from tumbling onto the stone floor before snagging the strap of my book bag, yanking it onto her bed.

"You'll notice the difference right away," I shoved items around my trunk, tossing my spare school robe to the floor, followed by a green covered journal, several books from last term we no longer used, socks that no longer had a matching pair…they were probably under Robin's bed…which was a black hole that seemed to suck anything that dared get loose…oh.

Crawling over my pile of stuff, I picked up the dust ruffle on Robin's bed, sneezing as several dust bunnies escaped. I pulled out several grungy looking socks, a black loafer that I was sure belonged to Lily, a purple Converse sneaker I had been missing for over a month…Sam's football, which I went ahead and tossed at her.

"Hey," Sam caught the ball out of reflex, looking down at it in surprise, "That's where it was! Thanks."

"Yeah," I tossed the loafer onto Lily's bed, the purple Converse sneaker hanging from my other hand, "No problem. I still can't find my bloody wand!"

"You've lost that wand four times already," Robin muttered as she flipped through my notes, comparing them with hers, her fair skin mottling as she noticed the obvious changes of dates and names and places…she was feeling rather foolish for not having noticed in the first place.

"Yes," I snapped, tossing my sneaker onto the pile of colorful footwear at the base of the wardrobe, "It keeps getting away from me."

"You mean it grows little legs and walks away all on its own," Sam leaned back against her bed, tossing her soccer ball up into the hair and deftly catching it.

"Shut it," I growled at her, feeling slightly envious at how easy it was for her to do that…if it had been me, I would have already broken my nose after failing to catch the ball in time, "Or I will make that stupid ball disappear."

"Right," Sam tossed the ball up in the air again, "With what? You don't have a wand."

"Don't look so smug," I smirked, stretching out my hand palm up in front of me, "Accio wand."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise as the wand flew into my hand, having zoomed out from under Lily's bed, "Well, what do you know."

"You could of done that in the first place," Lily muttered darkly, still wallowing in the memory of walking around all day with blue skin…how she wished those stupid Gryffindor boys would just disappear off the face of the earth…especially Potter and Black.

"Ya, well…it didn't cross my mind to do that then," I fell back onto my bed, grimacing as hangers poked into my back.

"She's a little slow on the uptake," Sam whispered to Lily, tossing the ball up in the air again.

"I will make that ball disappear," I growled at her, sitting up, giving a yelp as a hanger yanked at my hair. Reaching back, I untangled the curls from several hangers before getting up, "Robin, you done fixing your notes?"

"Just about," Robin waved her wand over her notebook one last time, feeling pleased as the last corrections appeared, "Why?"

"I was thinking, now that Sam's football has been found, we can go out and play Quidditch. Two on two…you girls up for it?"

"As long as we don't have to talk about those gits," Lily clambered off her bed, reaching into the wardrobe to change into shorts and a t-shirt, pulling out socks and her tattered sneakers.

"I will not say a thing," I pulled off my jeans, yanking on a pair of black running shorts, pulling on a bright yellow t-shirt that had belonged to my dad and tying it into a knot at the small of my back so it wouldn't hinder my flying. Yanking on a pair of matching yellow Converse, I quickly laced them up, grabbing a black and yellow hair tie and braiding my hair, tossing it over my shoulder to lie flat down my back, "I'm sure the boys will eventually do something to get all three of you on my side."

"I'd say fat chance but…after ten months being around them," Sam tied her dark blond hair into a low ponytail, having already pulled on a jersey and matching football shorts her brother Nathan had given her on her eleventh birthday, "More than likely, I will end up helping you."

"And hell will freeze over," Robin chuckled, tying off her French braid and letting it rest on her shoulder as she slipped on her sneakers, which she hardly used, tying the laces up tight.

"Alright then," I moved towards the door, the girls following behind me, Sam holding on to her football which we planned on using as a Quaffle, "Let's go play some Quidditch."

_Two Hours Later_

"Those stupid gits!"

Lily kicked off her muddy sneakers, her face red with anger as she yanked the once white tie out of her hair, "Why do they have to ruin everything?"

"Because they can," I peeled off my t-shirt, hearing the wet plop as it hit the floor. Despite feeling outraged along with my fellow roommates, I couldn't help appreciating the genius it had taken in planning a mud ambush of that magnitude.

By the time we had gotten to the ground, we were covered in mud and the field was back to its pristine condition, all four boys laughing as we stomped off the field towards the castle.

I was positive this idea was Remus', as most good ideas were, and although he was my best friend, I wasn't planning on cutting him any slack…not this time, "As long as nobody does anything, they're going to think themselves invincible and before you know it, they will rule the school and make everyone's life miserable with their pranks."

"They definitely need to be taught a lesson," Sam groaned, pulling off her sneakers, wondering how in bloody hell did she manage to get mud between her toes, "As much as it pains me Hollie, I will help you with whatever you have planned."

"What about you Robin," I yanked off my sneakers, tossing them on top of my shirt, opening my wardrobe to find all my clothes and shoes and other stuff I had pulled out in search of my wand back in its place, "You willing to help?"

"Yes," Robin toed off her shoes, falling back onto the bed, uncaring of the several wet mud spots on her clothes, "I am definitely in. James Potter owes me some top marks."

Lily grabbed her bathrobe from her wardrobe, "I claim the bathroom first."

"Lily –"

"Yes, Hollie, I will help. You just let me know what you want me to do and I will do it…as long as it doesn't involve breaking any school rules."

"Of course not," I pulled off my socks, letting them fall on top of my muddy sneakers that had once been a cheery bright yellow, "But it will involve catching the boys breaking school rules."

"We're not gonna tell on them, are we," Robin raised her head to look at me as the bathroom door closed.

"Nope," I unbraided my hair, grimacing at the mud clinging to it, dry flakes of it falling onto the stone floor, "McGonagall will see it with her own eyes and we won't say anything."

"What have you got in mind," Sam yanked off her jersey, wearing a gray tank top under it.

"Well…"

* * *

_Three Days Later_

_Hollie's POV_

"Do you really think it will work," Lily asked, toeing off her shoes before climbing into her bed. The week off they had before final exams were going by fast, making it impossible to do things like planning revenge against the Gryffindor boys when they were studying…which meant studying had to be occasionally sacrificed.

"Oh, it will work," I grabbed the letters off my pillow, sifting through them , tossing the one from my mother back onto the bed, knowing she was just going to be scolding me over what McGonagall and her believed to be inappropriate ladylike behavior…which I would do all over again…and knowing those boys, probably will.

"It's all in the timing," I tore open the letter father had sent me, smiling in pleasure at the news, "I'll be going to Texas for a week this summer…and not just any week…X-treme Sports week!"

"You compete in X-treme sports," Robin pulled off her shoes, letting them fall onto the floor, her socks following suit.

"Yep. Snowmobile, snowboard, dirt bike and surfing. My cousins Reba and Cade compete in every area including the air sports. I'm not that insane."

"How can you do winter and summer sports in the same week," Sam leaned against the headboard of her bed, watching as I put my father's letter aside, picking up the next, which was a light green envelope, the handwriting that of my cousin Reba.

Slicing it open, I pulled out her letter, answering Sam without looking at her, "Uncle Jack, my cousins' father, will Apparate us to where we need to go. According to Reba, the surfing and dirt bike competition is in Sydney and the snowmobile and snowboard ones are in Moscow."

"So technically, you're not going to Texas," Sam grabbed her tattered wolf, absentmindedly tugging on his ear as she continued to watch me. I shoved my cousin's letter back into its envelope, tossing it onto the bed to join my father's and my mother's unopened letter. Flipping the last envelope I held, I stared at the front, which simply had my name in purple ink, turning around, "Weird. It doesn't say who it's from."

Shrugging, I ripped it open, pulling out a sheet of parchment, coughing as a thin film of purple dust swelled out of the cream colored parchment, hanging in a cloud around my face. I yelped, swatting at it, coughing as I felt it settling onto my face.

Sam's laugher was what had me stop in my attempt to swat the purple cloud away. Turning towards her with a frown, I watched with growing anger as she took a look at me then fell back on her bed laughing, holding her arms against her stomach as tears leaked out the corner of her eyes and down her cheeks.

"What the hell, Sam," I dropped the parchment onto the ground, heading towards the bathroom, "You wait until now to do this? And what's it gonna take to get it off…face wash?"

"No," Sam hiccupped, the laughter making it hard for her to breath.

Looking into the mirror, my eyes widened as I leaned in closer, "You little bitch! You think this makes you very mature?"

I walked out of the bathroom, fists at my hips as I glared at Sam, turning to glare at Lily and Robin, both of them giggling away as they read the words written across my face.

"No," Sam took a deep breath, a giggle escaping her as she looked at me again, "But at least I'm not broadcasting it."

"Oh, you think you're so clever, with your little potion pranks," I stomped towards my wardrobe, yanking out a worn out cloak with a hood, "I'll just go to Madam Pomfrey and have her take care of it."

"Sure, you can do that," Sam shrugged, pushing herself into a sitting position, "But it will take her a couple of days to get the necessary ingredients…and you have to apply the antidote in…five hours and forty five minutes…which, by the way, I supplied the antidote for you in that letter."

"What," I exclaimed, dropping my cloak onto the ground and grabbing the parchment off it, scanning the potion instructions, "I don't have any of these ingredients!"

Sam bent over, pulling out a cardboard box from under her bed and crossing the room to place it on my bed, "You do now. Remember…if you need help you can ask me."

"Oh bite me," I growled, hauling out my cauldron from my trunk, where I had packed it a day ago.

"Oh well," Sam shrugged, looking over at Robin and Lily, "I suggest we leave her alone so she can concentrate. We'll be downstairs Hollie. You have five hours and thirty minutes…good luck."

"Go to hell."

Sam chuckled as she walked out the door, followed by Lily and Robin, leaving me behind as I muttered obscenities under my breath, pulling out the ingredients from the cardboard box.

* * *

_Gryffindor Common Room_

_3rd POV_

Sam settled herself into one of the plush armchairs near the fireplace, tucking her legs under her as she chuckled at the string of profanity that was making its way down from the dorm room.

"You should have closed the door, Lily," Robin sat on the couch, crossing her legs as Lily sat next to her, "We'll have to sit here and listen to Hollie's filth for the next five hours."

"I don't think it'll take her that long," Sam tugged at the sleeves of her woolen jumper, "I gave her two hours extra just in case she rushes and makes a mistake."

"You are utterly evil, Sam," Lily chuckled, drawing her knees up to rest her chin against them, "You know how horrid she is in potions…you've been the one tutoring her after all."

"She's improved immensely," Sam pushed her hair over her shoulder, "Besides, I am confident in my tutoring. And I think she performs well under pressure. Wait and see. She won't disappoint."

"What if she doesn't finish it in time," Robin gave Sam a questioning look, "Are you going to leave all that writing on her face?"

"Of course not," Sam stuck her hand into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out a small glass vial, "I already have the antidote right here…but I doubt she'll need mine."

"Who the hell is cussing like a sailor on leave," James walked in through the portrait, followed by Sirius and Remus just as another string of profane words made their way down to the common room, followed by Sam's name.

"What did you do to her," Remus set the box he was carrying by his feet as he sat on the armchair across from Sam, smiling at her as she blushed and looked down at her hands, her fingers fiddling with the vial she was holding.

"Uhm…" Sam bit her bottom lip, trying to make herself stop blushing without any success.

"She had all this purple writing appear on Hollie's face," Robin piped up as Sirius and James sat on either side of her, Lily quickly standing up to move towards another empty armchair when James settled himself next to her.

Robin chuckled under her breath, knowing that Lily had a hard time being around James, considering she would rather choke him to death than be pleasant to him, "It was really elaborate, purple dust coming out of this envelope and settling on her face. She's upstairs right now, working on the antidote."

"That explains the colorful vocabulary," James placed his box on the floor between his feet, grinning at Lily despite the scowl she sent his way, "Now, Sam, do tell. What does the writing say?"

Sam opened her mouth, a mumble escaping as she noticed Remus still staring at her.

"Uh," Sirius leaned closer to her, "I didn't hear that."

"I believe she said 'I'm childish and I won't grow up.' Is that right, Sam?" Remus smiled at her, trying not to laugh at the shocked look she gave him.

"Remus, that's amazing," Lily stared at him, equally shocked, "How did you hear that?"

"He has sonic hearing, but what we really want to know is how you did it," James leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, grinning at Lily despite the dark scowl she was giving him before turning his attention to Sam, "Come on Sam. Spill."

Sam couldn't hold back a pleased smile, trying not to let Remus keep her from enjoying this particular prank, which she herself thought was utter genius, as she launched into an explanation of what Hollie was doing upstairs…aside from painting the air blue with interesting choice words in multiple languages.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

Drying my face with a clean towel, I leaned closer to the mirror, checking every angle to make sure all the purple writing was gone. It had taken me two hours to brew the antidote, another ten minutes to apply it as instructed and then twenty more minutes to wait for it to do its thing.

Dropping the towel into the sink, I walked out of the bathroom, pulling my wand out of my back jeans' pocket and tossing it onto the middle of my bed. I was so angry at Sam for this latest little prank, which I think fell under her promise of no pranks involving those damn tutoring sessions, that I wanted the pleasure of causing her pain with my own two hands instead of a wand.

Slowly descending the stairs as I tried to calm my anger through deep breathing, I could hear the boys laughing.

"Sam, you are brilliant," Sirius' voice carried up the short circular staircase, her thank you following right after it.

The deep breathing was definitely not helping…reaching the foot of the stairs, I fisted my hands as I heard Sam laugh, able to catch a glimpse of her self-victorious smile before I jumped over the couch and into her, tumbling both her and the armchair onto the floor.

"You bitch," I reared back my fist to punch her in the nose, letting out a low moan when she punched me in the stomach first. Landing my fist into her jaw, I pulled back to hit her again, felt my elbow connect with someone's nose, not caring to look back to see which of the boys was stupid enough to get involved in this fist fight…probably Remus.

Sam bucked me off, rolling on top of me giving me a quick jab in the eye with her fist. I pushed her off me, my foot connecting with her ribs, yowling in pain as my leg went numb after she hit me right above my knee.

I felt hands grab my arms, pulling me back from her and holding me upright, since I couldn't put any weight on my numb leg. Struggling, I looked up to see Remus pulling Sam up off the floor and keeping her from reaching me.

"What is the meaning of this," McGonagall's strident voice echoed through the common room, freezing all of us as we slowly turned to stare at her.

I shrugged off the hands on my arms, reaching up to touch my swollen eye, touching the tip of my tongue to my bottom lip, "Uh…"

Sam wiped the back of her hand under her bloody nose, wincing in pain when she tried to gnaw on her bottom lip, which was swollen and bleeding, "We were…"

"We were just playing around Professor McGonagall," Remus pinched the bridge of his nose, blood dripping from it onto his white polo shirt –his mother was going to kill him –"It got a little out of hand."

"A little," McGonagall's voice raised another octave, her eyes moving over them, observing James as he held his arm around his ribs, blood oozing out from an opening above his cheekbone and Sirius with a slightly swollen nose and a cut above his eyebrow, "A little? It looks like you all engaged in a fist fight!"

"Us," Remus tried to look surprised, knowing the blood dripping down his chin wasn't helping, "In a fist fight? We would never do such a thing!"

"I will take twenty points away…each," McGonagall raised an eyebrow at their groans of protest, "Get yourselves to Madam Pomfrey….and don't ever let this happen again."

"Yes Professor McGonagall," they muttered in unison, watching as she left the common room, the portrait closing behind her.

Seconds of silence trickled by before the laughter began, none of them knowing who started it but all of them joining in.

"I can't believe you just fed McGonagall bullshit," I sat on the coffee table, groaning at my sore stomach…Sam sure could pack a punch.

"Even more unbelievable is that she swallowed it," James sat back on the sofa, looking down at his arm where one of the girls, he wasn't sure which one, had bit him.

"I don't think she did," Remus wiped his hand under his nose, surprised it hadn't stopped bleeding, "There just aren't enough days left in the term for her to give us detention."

"Losing a hundred and twenty points is enough, don't you think," Sirius leaned against the wall, having suffered less than his other friends…he hadn't completely thrown himself into the mission of separating the girls, "And all for breaking a cat fight."

"I think all of you need to go to the Infirmary before another fight breaks out," Lily spoke up, having caught the glare I gave Sirius.

Robin nodded in agreement, having decided not to get in the fray along with Lily, both of them simply sitting back and watching the flailing of limps, "You're all a mess…go get cleaned up."

The girls watched the sad looking group limp and hobble their way out of the common room, the portrait swinging shut behind them.

"Well," Robin turned to look at Lily, "As long as they don't get expelled…or kill each other…it will never be boring having them around."

"That's for sure."


	19. End of Term Shenanigans

Disclaimer: All characters except for Hollie, Sam and other characters who are not found in the books…there are too many of them to mention here… are owned by J.K. Rowling and of course we are receiving no profit for our story.

**AN: Hope you enjoy the long chapter. Since we take so long to update, expect more of those as compensation. Don't forget to review!**

* * *

**End of Term Shenanigans**

_Peter's POV_

It was exhausting, this studying for final exams. There were only four days left of the week off we had been given then a week chock full of exams.

Exams I feared I would fail. I had good marks in all my classes but a lot of that had to do with help from Remus and James…sometimes Sirius.

It drove me crazy how easy it all came to them but me, I had to work hard for what seemed simple to them. With these final exams, I was going to be dragging my brain through fire and razors.

It was sad to think it, but I was four or five steps away from being a full fledge Squib.

Pushing the big oak doors into the Great Hall, I tried not to stumble on my own feet as people looked at me, what with dinner having started twenty minutes ago and my being late. I tried to locate my friends quickly but couldn't, which just made things more embarrassing as I slowly walked between two long fully occupied tables.

They had to be here somewhere. Remus, James and Sirius never missed a meal.

"Peter!"

I turned to look behind me, feeling my face going red at the laughter. Pushing my glasses up my nose, I squeezed in between Robin and a fourth year, dropping my book bag at my feet.

"Where have you been all day," Sirius asked, pouring pumpkin juice into his glass.

"In the library, studying. These exams are going to –" I stopped, focusing on my friends' faces for the first time, "What happened to you?"

They all started laughing and I couldn't help feeling horribly left out. This wasn't the first time I've felt out of the loop but it almost felt like the worst because not only did it look like Hollie and Sam shared the joke but even Lily and Robin were in on it.

Everyone except for me.

"Why don't you tell Petey what happened Remus," Hollie grabbed a roll from the basket in the middle of the table, knocking over a tureen of gravy with her elbow.

Clumsy cow knew I hated being called Petey and she did it anyway.

"We were fooling around and it got out of hand," Remus touched his swollen nose which was bracketed by deep purple bruises that spread over his cheekbones and under his eyes, "Hollie nailed me."

"I did not," Hollie turned to glare at Remus through her one good eye, the other one completely shut and painted black and blue –I hoped it hurt, "Sam was the one that broke your nose."

"You moved," Sam exclaimed, wincing at the pain of her split bottom lip stretching, "If you had stayed put, I wouldn't have broken Remus' nose."

"Then I'd be the one with the broken nose," Hollie picked the green olives out of her salad, tossing them on to James' plate.

"Thanks," James popped an olive into his mouth, "By the way, I'm going to need a mold of your teeth and Sam's. I'm positive one of you two bit me."

"Alright, what were you doing that got out of hand," I picked at my chicken, my stomach in knots thanks to those stupid finals…and Hollie of course. Merlin, did I hate her, "Because it sounds like a fist fight to me."

They all turned to look at Remus, who froze mid bite, holding his drumstick several inches away from his open mouth.

"What were we doing, Remus," Hollie smiled at him, her one good eye briefly flickering my way.

That's why I didn't like her…because she didn't like me –and she wasn't subtle about it at all.

"Uh –" Remus' eyes moved towards the Head Table before returning back to me, "Arm wrestling. Turns out Hollie and Sam are sore losers."

They all laughed, once again leaving me out of the joke. Not that I cared about being part of their stupid inside jokes.

"Hey!" Remus turned to scowl at Hollie, "Did you just take my tomatoes?"

"Yep," Hollie popped a tomato slice into her mouth, chewing with a smile.

"Why," Remus watched her spear another one of his tomato slices.

"Because you don't like tomatoes."

"I didn't like tomatoes when I was eight," Remus watched Hollie take another slice, his eyebrows lowering into a deep v, "Dammit, Hollie, stop eating my food!"

"Sheesh Remus," Hollie dropped the tomato back onto his plate, "We used to do this all the time when we were little. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that I don't like it when people take food from my plate," Remus took a roll from the basket, ripping it in half, "And we're not little anymore."

"But Remus," Hollie gave him a confused look, "You haven't eaten tomatoes since that day you threw one at your mum's bum."

Sirius and James busted out laughing and once again another inside joke. She did it on purpose. I was certain of it.

"Excuse me," Lily leaned forward, "You threw a tomato at your mother?"

Remus' face darkened to a deep red as he turned to glare at Hollie, who was chuckling along with James and Sirius, "It wasn't my idea."

"It sure wasn't," Sirius chuckled, nudging James with an elbow, "But you sure went along with it."

"Remus has a weakness when it comes to –"

"Hey!" Remus interrupted Hollie, giving her a scowl worth a nightmare or two, "You start telling my secrets, I'll start telling yours."

"Alright, alright. I won't say anything," Hollie snagged the tomato off Remus' plate, shock blooming on her face at how fast Remus caught her wrist. She had barely touched the tomato!

"Remus doesn't share food," Remus growled into her face, giving her wrist a little shake, "Drop the tomato or I'm going to have to hurt you."

Hollie stared wide eyed at him, dropping the tomato, pulling her hand back as soon as he let go of her wrist, "Wow. You just…growled at me."

"I gave you fair warning," Remus kept his eyes on his food, "I'll share anything else with you except my food."

"Alright, I get it," Hollie poked her bottom lip out in a pout, "You don't share food."

"Instead of pouting, why don't you tell the tomato story? Lily, Robin and Sam are dying to know," Remus slathered butter onto his roll, still refusing to look at Hollie.

Yes, Lily, Robin and Sam were dying to know. As for myself, I couldn't care less.

"We were five, playing in the backyard at Remus' house. His mum had a vegetable garden where she grew green beans, cucumbers, peppers, peas and the biggest tomatoes you have ever seen. James found this tomato so big it was sitting on the ground. He picked it, passed it to Sirius. It was squishy, really gross. I wouldn't touch it."

Hollie smiled at James who pushed some of his tomatoes onto her plate, "Thanks. We heard the back door open so we all ran out of the garden because we weren't allowed in there. James had the tomato hidden behind his back. Aunt Kat looked us over, looked at the garden then bent down to get the hose. That's when Sirius dared Remus to throw the tomato at his mum."

"You actually did it," Sam stared in shock at Remus, "Sirius dared you and you did it?"

"Have you ever been dared, Sam," Hollie asked, munching on a breadstick.

"Loads of times."

"Ever backed down?"

"Well…no. But all those dares were from my brothers. I couldn't exactly back down," Sam picked up her glass, draining it in a couple of swallows, "Not if I wanted to avoid them treating me like a little girl."

"Well, that's pretty much the reason why Remus didn't back down from the dare," Hollie looked down at her plate, a contented sigh escaping her.

"I can't believe you actually chucked a tomato at your mum's bum," Robin pushed her plate away, leaning her elbows against the table.

"Dad tanned my hide good for that one," Remus wiped his fingers on his napkin, giving a sigh of satisfaction.

"Well, that was good," James tossed his napkin over his plate, "Who's up for a game of Exploding Snap?"

I watched as they all agreed with enthusiasm, pushing their empty plates away as they stood up. Looking down at my still full plate, I grabbed a drumstick and bit into it, chewing meticulously before trying to swallow past the angry lump in my throat.

"Hey," Remus turned to look over his shoulder at me, having already started walking away with the others, "You coming Peter?"

"I can't," I placed my drumstick back on my plate, "I have to go back to the library –study my levitation charm…I can't do it right."

"Because you're doing it wrong," Hollie moved to stand next to Remus, not blinking or showing any expression when he dropped his arm over her shoulders, "Its levi-_o _-sa not levio-_sa._ Just put the pronunciation on the _o,_ not the _sa _and it should work."

"There you have it," Remus smiled at me before following after Hollie, who was tugging his arm to make him walk with her, "You know where to find us if you need help."

"Sure," I looked down at my plate, which was no longer there. My stomach growled loudly and I couldn't help feeling angry.

"That's too bad," Hollie arched an eyebrow, looking from the empty table to me, "Maybe next time, you'll eat faster."

"Hollie," Remus gave her a stern look, "That's mean."

"No surprise there," Sam muttered, her voice fading as they kept walking away, "It is Hollie."

"Well, sorry if it came out as mean," Hollie's voice faded as she turned around the corner of the Great Hall doors but I still heard her.

I glared at the empty doorway, wishing that I could think of a way to make her feel as bad as she did me.

"Bloody bitch," I muttered under my breath, pushing away from the table as I picked up my book bag, "I'll get back at her someday."

I walked out of the Great Hall and headed back to the library.

I'd rather study by myself than play with the lot of them anyway.

* * *

_Sam's POV_

My already tired brain tried to wrap itself around the problem at hand as I was lying in bed, taking a break from studying. Unfortunately for me, studying served as my distraction.

What was I going to do?

Without explaining the reason for her question, Professor McGonagall had given her the answer that no student was allowed to stay at Hogwarts during the summer break.

I rubbed my eyes. Maybe I could write to Billy. He'd help me into the house, hide me in his bedroom, sneak me food… but I hadn't heard from him all year. I had to face the facts…I had nowhere to go. Tears filled my eyes as I thought about what would happen if I didn't figure something out…I would end up on the streets.

Before I could stop them, tears began streaming down my face, my shoulders shaking with the sobs. I buried my face into my pillow, wishing my life was different.

I'm not sure how long I cried before I heard Lily, her voice filled with concern, "Sam, what's the matter?"

I lifted my head off the pillow as she sat next to me and put her arms around me. I gladly accepted the comfort and everything spilled out, "I have…nowhere to go…my mother…kicked me out…my father didn't…stop her… and I haven't heard…from my brothers all year," more tears fell as I spoke the words I had been hiding all year.

Lily hugged me tighter, "You don't have to worry, Sam. You have somewhere to go…you're coming home with me."

I pulled back so I could see her face, "You wouldn't mind? What about your parents?"

"Of course I don't mind. You're one my friends. As for my parents, I'll write to them tomorrow to let them know, but they won't mind."

* * *

_3__rd__ Person_

Soon after Sam left for school, it became quite evident to the Parkers that discussing Sam at home was not an option. Their mother had practically erased Sam from their home and has tried to erase her from their lives as well, but with no success.

Pictures had been taken down but not before Sam's father and brothers were able to hide a lot of them. Not only was her room completely empty of the things she had left behind, but it had been completely redone. Not that it was difficult for their mother to do this since Sam had taken everything she possibly could to school because she knew she wouldn't be returning. The rest was safely in boxes hidden in her brothers' closets.

Billy, E.J. and Nate quickly walked down the hallway towards their dad's office. Father had come into Billy's room that morning asking him to come by after school let out. Billy knew there was only one reason why his father would do that and he agreed that it was necessary. Father's office was the one place they could talk without worrying their mother might somehow overhear. She never did visit. If she did, she would have seen her husband had never taken down the pictures of his daughter.

Billy knocked on the open door before entering, "Dad, we need to talk."

"That's why I asked you to come here. You haven't heard anything, have you," he already knew the answer but he couldn't help himself from hoping the answer to change.

Billy shook his head, wishing he had a different answer, "Not a single letter all year, which is surprising...or worrisome…she promised to write."

"There's no way to reach her, is there," another question which they already knew the answer to…if there was a way, they wouldn't be having this conversation.

"Not that I know of," Billy dropped his voice to a whisper, "According to the letter she got, they use owls for post. We can't send her a letter unless she sends one first."

"Maybe..." Father stopped, not really wanting to voice his thought.

"Maybe what?" Nate asked, wanting to know what his father was refusing to say out loud.

"She could have gotten caught up with school life. She's learning new things, meeting new people…"

"So she forgot about us?" Billy interrupted, unable to picture his sister forgetting a promise she had made to them.

The man shrugged in response, "Maybe it's her way of moving on."

"By completely cutting us out of her life?" Billy's voice had a tone of disbelief, unable to believe that…not only was it unlike Sam but the very thought was painful.

"That doesn't sound like Sam," E.J. voiced his twin's thought before trying to voice his own idea," You know it could be..." he stopped speaking all of a sudden, unsure about saying this in front of their dad.

"Could be what?" Billy pushed, wanting to know if E.J.'s thoughts really echoed his own.

E.J. took a deep breath before answering, "She promised to write so what if she did and…"

"We just didn't get them," Billy finished E.J.'s thought since it was his own as well.

"You mean they got lost?" Nate questioned, not quite grasping what his brothers were trying to say.

"Sort of..." E.J. kept stalling, hoping his younger brother would understand without any of them actually voicing it out loud…he had gotten used to Billy reading his mind.

"I think he means your mother took them. That could be a possibility and I wouldn't put it past her to do so," their father finally said it out loud, not liking it but knowing it was the most likely scenario.

"Even if that is the case, it doesn't help us any. It's almost the end of the school year. She would have stopped writing awhile ago after never getting a response," Billy's voice sounded sad, not liking the thought of Sam believing they hadn't taken the time to reply to her letters.

"Almost summer...I wonder if the school will let her stay there," Mr. Parker stared out his office window, hoping his daughter was happy and safe…and had somewhere to stay.

"Or a friend invites her to stay over for the summer," E.J. figured there had to be somewhere his sister could go once school was over.

"You would think so. What kind of a friend would they be if they didn't?" Nate asked, not wanting to think about the alternative.

"A lousy one," Billy answered, trying not to get mad at lousy friends who might not even exist.

* * *

The moonbeams shined through the mullioned windows, painting patterns across the stone floor and walls of the girls' dormitory, revealing three empty beds.

Four of the girls were piled onto Lily's bed, braiding each other's hair as they worked out the logistics for their first payback plan.

"We're not telling on them, are we," Robin shifted on the bed, giving a small wince at Hollie's quick poke, warning her to stay still.

Since she didn't care how her hair looked, and Sam just wasn't into this girly stuff, they had both been designated the guinea pigs as Hollie taught Lily how to do a Chinese braid.

"I've told you, we're not going to tattle," Hollie slid her fingers through another section of Robin's blue-black hair, glancing at Lily's fingers in Sam's hair, "It's got to go over, across, under. You keep forgetting the under part."

"Right," Lily combed her fingers through Sam's dark blond hair to start over.

"I don't see how McGonagall's going to find them without us telling her where to go," Robin pulled on the frayed hem of her pajama pants, "They've only gotten caught a handful of times and we know they've done so many more pranks than that."

"Not to mention we don't have all the details of this next one," Sam sighed as Lily worked her fingers through her hair, wishing she were arm wrestling or playing _war_ or…or…anything less girly than having her hair braided.

"Sure we do," Hollie reached the end of Robin's thick braid, quickly tying it with the hair tie around her wrist, "Water balloons on Thursday."

"But we don't have the time or who the target is," Lily smiled in satisfaction as she finally finished Sam's braid, "That's information we really need."

"That's not a problem," Hollie flopped onto her stomach at the end of Lily's bed, "I'll get that information."

"How," Sam leaned against the headboard, Lily sitting next to her, both of them cross-legged, giving Robin space to stretch out onto her back, "Is Remus just going to tell you?"

"Oh no," Hollie rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, "Remus won't say anything to me. They didn't ask for my help on this one so they're not telling me anything. What we know so far is what Robin's heard."

"If I stay quiet enough, they tend to forget I'm there," Robin stated quietly, not at all upset since it's happened to her since she was a child.

"So how are you going to find out, Hollie," Lily pulled her bedside drawer out, pulling out her small bag where she kept her nail polish and other things to do her own manicure.

"Peter."

"He's not going to tell you anything," Sam wrinkled her nose. She hated the smell of nail polish, "Peter hates you."

"Sheesh, thanks Sam."

"You're really mean to him Hollie," Sam drew up her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"There's something about him I just don't like…and it's not as if you're all that nice to him," Hollie pushed herself onto a semi-reclining position, "Anyway, he won't know it's me."

"How are you going to pull that off," Robin turned to look at Hollie, wishing she could undo the braid…it was giving her a headache…probably because she was used to keeping her hair loose.

"I have a nifty talent not many people know abou –"

"You're a metamorphmagus," Lily interrupted, smiling as Hollie sat up, a look of shock on her face.

"How the bloody hell did you know that," Hollie stared at Lily, surprised that a Muggleborn, of all people, could have found out about such a rare magical gift as hers.

"I did a little research," Lily shrugged as if it weren't a big deal.

"You researched me?"

"Well, not you. Your family."

"When?"

Lily sighed, twisting the nail polish bottle close, waving her hands in the air to dry the pale pink polish on her fingernails, "The morning after the boys bleached your hair."

"Why?" Hollie crossed her legs, leaning against one of the bedposts.

"Because the boys used peroxide…your hair shouldn't have gone to normal the way it did…and the look on your face after it did kind of made me think you had something to do with it…so I went to the library and started looking into your family."

"What did you find," Robin kept her blue eyes on Lily, wondering why Hollie hadn't told her about it…they were good friends after all.

"I found that all Belledrexes are metamorphmagus –"

"Except the wives."

"What," Lily turned to look at Hollie, scrunching her nose at Hollie's smug look.

"Except the wives. Gran'Mere is not a metamorphmagus and neither are my aunts, except for Aunt Roz, Daddy's little sister. Gran'Papa is one as are my uncles and my Daddy…as well as my cousins and myself."

"Can I ask you something," Lily checked her fingernails to make sure they were dry.

"Sure," Hollie straightened up, pulling her legs into the lotus position.

"Why isn't your brother one?"

"Wow, you really did research my family," Hollie laughed, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the mattress, "Mum says it's because he got more of her genes than Daddy's…Daddy, well, he just makes strange comments about how Dominic only has the Belledrex name without the genes…or something like that. People have learned not to ask about it around Daddy…it kinda gets him in a bad mood."

"Okay, I know I shouldn't interrupt, it's rude and all, but what is a metamorphmagus," Sam spoke up, wanting to know what Lily and Hollie were talking about…she hated being in the dark when it concerned this new world she now belonged to.

"A metamorphmagus is a person with the ability to change their physical appearance…sort of like a chameleon," Lily leaned her head against the headboard, a yawn escaping her as she looked at her bedside clock…it was two in the morning! Good thing they were able to sleep in.

"You can do that," Sam turned to stare at Hollie, wide eyed in surprise and a bit of distress.

"Yes…it's a family thing. Not everyone can do it…there are very few families that have the ability to do that… it's very rare. If you could please not tell the boys…I'd appreciate it."

"Remus doesn't know," Robin turned to look at Hollie in surprise…that would definitely be unusual.

"Of course he knows," Hollie tried not to roll her eyes, "I spent the first three years of my life being a mirror…until Daddy taught me to control it…around the same time I was being potty trained, mind you…I would change into whoever I stared at for a long period of time…not completely…just…hair color, eye color, the shape of my nose…things like that. When I was five, I was already in complete control of it…so Daddy started teaching me how to purposely alter my appearance…among other things."

"So you can…" Sam cocked her head to the side, trying to imagine it but having a hard time doing so, "Completely alter your entire appearance now?"

"Yup," Hollie nodded, stretching out her legs in front of her, leaning back on her hands as she crossed her ankles, "It comes easy to me now."

"So how are you going to trick Peter," Robin turned her head to look at Hollie, pushing herself into a sitting position as Hollie grinned at them, her appearance slowly changing until she was no longer sitting before them.

"I'm going to be Sirius," Hollie's voice came out of Sirius Black's mouth as they all stared open mouthed at the sight before them before laughing, the sight of Sirius Black wearing purple and silver pajamas absolutely hilarious to the twelve year olds.

"Please tell me you can change your voice too," Sam wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, unable to keep laughter from exploding as Hollie/Sirius cocked an eyebrow at her.

"That I'll have to work on," Hollie's voice deepened slightly before hitting a high note, "Sounds like him, doesn't it?"

They all fell on each other, laughing as Hollie returned to her own appearance, a big grin on her face.

"I believe you should all be in your beds, young ladies."

They all looked up to see Professor McGonagall standing at the doorway, a frown on her face as she stared at them.

"Sorry Professor McGonagall," they all chimed, scampering off to their beds, pulling up sheets and bedspreads over themselves as they wiggled around to settle down.

McGonagall stared at them for a few seconds before turning to leave the room, the door almost closed when Hollie called out, "Good night Aunt Minnie."

She stopped, turning to look towards Hollie's bed, able to see the girl grinning at her.

Trying to keep herself from smiling, she waggled her finger at her, "You cheeky chit. Don't think for a second I've forgotten that letter to your mother. That should wipe that smile off your face."

"Ah, come on Aunt Minnie, you know the boys deserved what they got," Hollie tossed the bedspread to the foot of the bed, sitting up, aware that the other girls were listening to everything, "Quite frankly, I went easy on them."

"I happen to know my cousin doesn't like you fighting like a boy," McGonagall crossed her arms over her chest, pursing her thin lips into a tight pucker, "And neither do I. You call me Minnie one more time, I'll give you detention. Understand?"

"Yes, Aunt Minni-erva," Hollie stuttered over her name, giving her a grin before snuggling down under the bedsheet, "At least tell mum to go easy on me."

McGonagall stood still for a few seconds, knowing that Hollie's request wasn't just to avoid punishment…even she knew Cousin Jessebelle was a little harsh when it came to proper behavior, "I'll see what I can do…that's all I can promise. Now go to sleep…and no more trouble from you, Hollie."

"Promise," Hollie's words were distorted by a yawn as McGonagall shook her head, walking out of the room and closing the door behind her, not hearing the last words before the first year fell asleep, "At least for today."

* * *

_Wednesday: Hollie's POV_

"Have you guys seen the flyers around school," James asked excitedly as he dropped his book bag, shoving it under the table with his foot as he sat down to join his friends at the dinner table.

"Why are you so excited," I looked up from my Astronomy book, a half eaten roll in my right hand, a gray steel pen in the left as I took notes, "It's not like you can try out."

"I know I can't try out," James rolled his eyes at me before piling food on his plate, "I think it's awesome the try-outs are the weekend before exams start."

"We have two more days before the weekend," Lily looked up from her Charms notes, giving James a narrow eyed look, "I haven't seen you or Black study all week. That's why they gave us a free week, you know."

"There're more places than the library and common room to study at," Sirius took a swallow of his pumpkin juice before turning to look Remus and me, "Is your brother trying out?"

"Of course," we answered in unison without looking at each other, "It would be a waste if they didn't," Remus added as he reached for another dinner roll, "They're both better than good. I think they'll both have several teams fighting over them."

"Yep," I agreed, biting into my roll, "It'll be fun to see those try-outs this summer."

"Man, what I'd give to play professional Quidditch," James poured gravy over his second helping of mashed potatoes.

"You don't even play Quidditch now," I flipped several pages of the book, comparing my notes to the star charts in it.

"I will next year," James kicked me under the table, ducking his head to miss the roll I chucked at him in retaliation, "What's got you in a bad mood?"

"You and Black," I turned to glare at Remus, "You too. Thanks to you three, I might not get to go to Texas this summer…I so don't want to go home…oh, I'll be lucky if mum doesn't kill me after she reads McGonagall's letter."

"You should consider yourself lucky she won't be told about the last fight," Robin closed her Potions notebook, reaching under the table for her book bag.

"I can't be too sure about that," I twisted the bottom of my pen, the silver nib disappearing before I tucked it into the spiral of my notebook, "I won't put it past her to just mention it casually."

"Hey," Lily looked up from her Charms book, "Why didn't you tell us McGonagall's your aunt?"

"What," James and Sirius exclaimed, Remus turning to stare at me open-mouthed.

"Do I have to tell you everything," I grabbed my book bag from under the table, shoving my notebook and Astronomy book into it as I stood up, "For your information, I'm practically related to everyone. Professor McGonagall happens to be one of mum's Scottish cousins."

"She calls her Aunt Minnie," Sam added off-handedly, flipping a page in her Transfiguration book, "She doesn't like it."

"She never has," I scrunched my nose, hiking the strap over my shoulder, "It's not a big deal…it's not like she gives me any special favors. I think she's harder on me than the rest of you because we're related."

"There's no way she's harder on you than us," James quipped as he bit into a chicken leg.

"True," I grinned at him as I stepped over the sitting bench, "But then again, you guys seem to like seeking the wrath of our Scottish professor…someday, you'll push her too far. Anyway, I must head to the library…I'll see you in the common room."

I waved across the dining room at my brother, trying not the blush as Alex smiled and waved along with Dominic…he truly was handsome.

Rushing down the aisle, I walked out the big oak doors, rushing down the hallway but not towards the library…not yet. First, I had to get something from the boys' dorm room…that won't be hard at all.

* * *

_Peter's POV_

I couldn't hold back a groan as I lowered my head onto the library table…I was tired, and hungry, but I was more scared of failing all my exams…so I had to keep trying to stuff as much information into my brain as I could before Monday...and that meant skipping dinner.

"Hey Peter."

I looked up to watch as Sirius pulled out the chair across the table from me, dumping his books onto it as he sat down.

"Hey Sirius," I sighed as I shoved my fingers through my hair, "Where's James?"

"Flirting with Lily," he shrugged as if it weren't a big deal, "He'll come around eventually. What ya doing?"

"Studying," I gave him a strange look…he was acting…different, "What's with you?"

"Nothing," Sirius shrugged again, opening a random book, "Well, actually, I was thinking of asking Hollie out."

"Again," I shook my head as I looked back down at my Transfiguration book, "Why don't you just give up? Besides…she's a bit of a bitch."

"No she's not," Sirius exclaimed, his voice slightly high on the last word, "I mean…she can be somewhat rude sometimes…but that doesn't make her a bitch."

"Rude is a bit mild," I looked at him, watching as his face began to turn red, "She's downright mean Sirius. Why would you want to go out with her?"

"Because…" Sirius' gray-blue eyes were narrowed in obvious anger before he took a deep breath to lean back in his chair, slamming his book close, "Because she's pretty…and funny…and smart…"

"Right," I frowned as I turned my attention back to my book, "And she thinks she's too good for you…she'll say no again."

"I think this time, she might say yes," Sirius tapped his fingers against the cover of his book, "I was thinking I could sneak some food out of the kitchen…take her on a picnic by the lake tomorrow night…"

"You'll get caught."

"I'll borrow James' cloak…"

"Wait," I looked up at him, thinking over what he'd said, "Tomorrow night? But we're doing that prank we've been planning tomorrow night."

"Ah right," Sirius reached up to tug at his hair, raking his fingers through it as I stared at him, "The water balloons…maybe we can do the picnic afterwards."

"You can't," I shook my head, wondering how he came to forget their plans, "We're meeting outside Filch's office at nine…it'll be too late for a picnic afterwards."

"Bloody hell, Peter, you're right," Sirius leaned his elbows against the table, resting his chin on his closed fists, "Maybe we can do the picnic before we meet."

"We have to get everything ready before," I exclaimed, turning to give Madam Pince an apologetic look as she glared our way, "Sirius, you and James came up with all the details, remember? Dinner at five, meet at the storage closet at seven to get everything ready and then split up to set everything up outside Filch's office at nine. How can you have forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten," Sirius sniffed as he leaned back on his chair, "I just think there's gotta be some wiggle room…I really think Hollie will say yes this time."

"Sirius," I sighed, looking down at my book again, "Just give it up…or ask her another day…tomorrow's no good for a date."

"You're right, you're right," Sirius piled his books before pushing himself to his feet, "I'll just ask her another day…don't mention this to James or Remus, okay?"

I looked up at him, lowering my eyebrows as he pushed his chair back in place, "I suppose so…"

"And we don't need to talk about it again," Sirius shrugged, a slightly sheepish look on his face, "It was a stupid idea Peter, just like you said, so no need to mention it again. Anyway, I gotta go…I forgot my Charms book in the room and that's what I need to study."

"O-okay," I stared as he turned to walk out of the library, moving quickly past the front desk before disappearing through the door.

Staring after him, I frowned as I wondered, once again, what was wrong with Sirius…he sure was acting strange…looking down at my Transfiguration book, I let out another groan.

Now was not the time to wonder about Sirius' strange behavior…I had exams to survive…

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

"Jackass," I muttered to myself as I shoved Sirius' shirt and pants into the bottom of his wardrobe…he'll never notice them what with the pile of clothes he had down there…seemed like Black had an aversion to hangers.

I tossed his sneakers under his bed before grabbing my running shoes, which I had hidden in their place. I was wearing my black running shorts and matching razor back sports top, not wanting to go from room to room to change clothes…simply pulling his clothes over my own…

Tying my laces, I grabbed my books from the bed and ran out, quickly skipping down the steps, stopping before I reached the ground floor to look around the corner…the common room was empty.

Running across the common room, I rushed up the stairs towards the girls' dorm, pushing the door open and rushing in to toss my books onto the bed, grabbing my wand and its harness.

"How dare he call me a bitch," I muttered under my breath, strapping the harness onto my right forearm before sliding my wand into it, "I'll find a way to get him back for that…little rat."

I patted my hair to make sure it was still in its neat braid before leaving the room…I needed to run off the strong emotions running through me before I went to bed…

* * *

_Robin's POV_

I wiggled deeper into the armchair, flipping the page on the book I was reading as I waited for Hollie, the common room strangely empty.

Folding the corner over on the page I was on, I closed the book, turning my eyes towards the fireplace, thinking over what Hollie had shared with me when we ran into each other in the common room as she was heading out to go for a run.

I felt bad for Hollie sometimes…she seemed to have a hard time when interacting with others…the only person I had ever seen her completely relax with was Remus…perhaps the fact that they've been friends for ages was the reason why but still…

It was almost like Hollie didn't know how to make friends…even with me, she sometimes tried too hard…or like with Sam and Peter, she didn't try hard enough.

It had been mean of Peter to call Hollie a bitch…granted, at times, Hollie had a streak of meanness in her but I didn't think that was cause enough to refer to her as a bitch.

Heaving a breath, I pushed myself out of the armchair, heading up the stairs to the room, knowing that Lily and Sam were in there, talking as they were apt to do…they seemed to be getting closer to each other and that was good…Sam needed a friend that would understand her and having gotten to know Lily pretty well myself, I knew she had the compassion and understanding needed.

Trudging up the stairs, I shook my head as I thought about Sam and Hollie…they were so alike in different ways…almost like two different lines heading the same way…why they hadn't become instant friends was beyond my comprehension.

Somehow, they had gotten off on the wrong foot over some unexplained misunderstanding and were now missing out on what could be a great friendship.

Those two really were something…different…

"Hey Robin," Lily looked up from a book in her hands, "Have you seen Hollie?"

"Yes," I moved towards them, sitting down at the edge of the bed, "She went running…says it's a stress reliever…whatever that means. What are you two doing?"

"Sam's showing me pictures of her family," Lily flipped a page of the album, "Did you know her older brothers are twins?"

"No," I shrugged as I pushed myself towards the middle of the bed, crossing my legs before I leaned towards the album, "He's cute."

"That's Billy," Sam pointed at the boy next to him, "That's E.J. They're twins."

"That's cool," I looked at the picture, "Who's that?"

"Nate," Sam stretched out her legs, leaning back against the headboard, "And the little girl is my sister Dani…short for Danielle."

"Must be fun, being part of a big family," I smiled at Sam, wondering what had kept her from sharing this for almost an entire year, "I bet you miss them all."

"I do…mostly my brothers. My little sister and I…we weren't as close," Sam shrugged but I could see that something about that comment bothered her, "Probably the age difference. Do you have any siblings?"

"An older sister," I tugged my socks off, tossing them towards my bed, not caring when they landed in the middle of the floor, "She's studying at Cambridge for her degree…she wants to be a marriage counselor. She's really bright…Cammie wanted to go to Hogwarts ever since mum's told us about her years here…but she never got a letter. She was real happy and proud when I got mine."

"That's more than I can say for my sister," Lily flipped the page, laughing at the picture of the boys and Sam all making silly faces at the camera, "Petunia wanted to come with me, we've always been close since she's a year younger than me. She even wrote to Dumbledore…but she doesn't have any magic…she began acting really nasty once she realized she wasn't going and I was…mum and dad are real happy about me studying here…but Pet hasn't even answered any of my letters since the school year started…I hope she's over it."

"I would think so," I leaned back against my arms, "Otherwise, your summer is not going to be fun."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be," Lily turned to smile at Sam before looking at me, "Sam's coming with me for the summer break…if anything, we can both be ignored and sniffed at by Pet."

We laughed as Lily flipped to the next page, "Are these your parents?"

"Yeah," Sam said slowly, not looking at the picture as she drew up her knees into her chest.

"They're okay with you spending the summer break at Lily's," I stared at her, seeing something sad and painful flash through her brown eyes.

Sam stared at me without saying anything, Lily staying quiet beside her. Obviously, something was not being said.

"Sam?"

"It's just that…" Sam scrubbed her fist over her eyes, "My parents, they…well…"

"Back," Hollie walked into the room, her breathing slightly heavy, a thin sheen of sweat covering her slightly red face and exposed skin, "Let me just shower and then we'll finish planning for tomorrow night…what's that?"

"Nothing," Sam took the photo album from Lily, closing it before she got off Lily's bed to move towards her trunk, closing it after placing the album inside.

Hollie's face showed her skepticism and I knew that what she was really hiding was a feeling of being left out…it couldn't be helped at times, I suppose.

"Whatever," Hollie moved towards her wardrobe, grabbing her bathrobe, "Robin, have you told them the rest of the details?"

"Nope," I leaned forward, resting my elbows against my knees, "I don't know what else you're planning so I thought I'd let you tell them."

She turned to look at me, giving me a smile, "I have some ideas…but I'll need help from you three."

"That's why we're all in this together," Lily grabbed one of her pillows, hugging it to herself, "Go shower Hollie. We'll be waiting."

"Thanks Lily…" she headed towards the bathroom, not looking at Sam, "Believe me, it will be worth it."

* * *

_Thursday Night: __3rd Person_

"How in the world did McGonagall find out," James exclaimed as he fell back onto his bed, groaning at the soreness of his legs, arms, hands, back…he hurt all over!

Sirius toed off his shoes before climbing onto his bed to sit cross-legged, a dark look on his face as he stared down at his raw hands, trying to rub the aching pain out of them.

"I just think McGonagall was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Remus laid back in his bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering if he would be able to stand afterwards. It just wasn't normal, still being able to breath after having scrubbed so many floors.

"I don't care why she was there, it was rotten luck for us, though," Peter sat on the windowsill by his bed, looking forlornly at his own hands. He hated having to do menial work for detention…he preferred writing lines.

"Luck, my arse," Sirius jumped out of his bed, his face dark with anger, "Somebody told McGonagall what we were planning. There was no reason for her to be anywhere near Filch's office. Somebody blabbed to her."

James, Remus and Peter tiredly lifted their heads, wondering how Sirius could still have so much energy after having scrubbed the entire third and fourth floors of Hogwarts, as well as the Infirmary, which was added punishment given by McGonagall in hopes that they would learn their lesson.

"Sirius," James sighed, exhausted beyond description, "The only ones that knew what was going on was us four. Who would have blabbed? Peter?"

"Me," Peter squeaked in surprise, "I didn't tell anyone about anything."

Sirius shook his head, knowing Peter was too grateful to have them as friends to go telling anyone about their plans. Pacing the length of the room, he kept biting on his lip, pulling at his hair as he thought over the possibility that someone was out to get them.

"Why don't you just see that she just happened to be there," Remus gingerly lifted himself to a sitting position, wondering if he was going to be able to survive the month…this exhausting detention was too soon after the last full moon. He hadn't recuperated well enough to be able to deal with this complete body aching pain.

"Because it is just too coincidental that she just happened to pass by Filch's office when we released our arsenal…if you think about it, McGonagall had nothing to do around Filch's office at that time of the night. She should have been in her chambers, unwinding from a long day. That's why we decided to ambush Filch at that time of the evening."

Sirius leaned against the stone wall, crossing his arms and his ankles, a thoughtful look on his face.

James sat up, knitting his eyebrows in concentration, "You have a point there, mate," he bit his lip as he stood up, trying not to groan out loud at the painful pulling on his back and legs, "Someone had to have known, but only us four knew what was going to happen outside Filch's office."

Remus sat up, not bothering to keep his groan to himself. He had to admit to himself that Sirius was actually making sense, "So someone other than the four of us knew about our ambush…and told McGonagall about it…which landed us in the worst detention known to Hogwarts' history…although I think detentions might get worse if we continue on this chosen path…anyway, the point of all this is that someone knew and squealed."

Remus buried his face into his hands before shoving them into his light brown hair. He hated getting into trouble but ever since he came to Hogwarts, it seemed that's what he always did. It had all started when he suggested a different approach to a Filibuster fireworks prank Sirius and James were planning, an approach that saved them all from getting caught. Ever since then, he had voluntarily become an accomplice to every prank James and Sirius thought off, even going as far as suggesting pranks of his own, such as Hollie's orange hair –

"Hollie!" Remus exclaimed as he looked up at his friends.

Sirius frowned at him before smiling wickedly, "Yes, Remus, we know you're obsessed with Hollie, but now is not the time to –"

"No, you dimwit!" Remus stood up, ignoring his complaining muscles, "Hollie is the one person that has reason to try to get us into trouble…she is still angry about that peroxide episode, not that I can understand why since her hair is back to normal."

"I can't understand how that happened," James shook his head as he moved towards his wardrobe, "It wasn't supposed to do that."

"It makes sense but I don't see Hollie squealing," Sirius sighed as he flopped back onto his bed, "In a way, she's one of us, even when we don't include her in on some of our pranks."

"Agreed," James pulled out a clean shirt and pants, "Besides, she didn't know all the details."

"Yeah," Peter hopped off the windowsill, quickly grabbing onto the ledge as his legs gave out, "She didn't know what time or where we were going to do it. She could be spying on us, though."

"Nah," Remus denied that without thinking about what he was revealing, "I would have known if she was."

"How?"

"I would have smell– I mean, I would have heard her…I have a great sense of hearing, remember," Remus wanted to kick himself…that was a stupid slip of the tongue…he just hopend they hadn't caught it.

"So it couldn't have been Hollie," James closed his wardrobe doors as he tossed the clean clothes onto the bed, "Well, mates, we'll have to be more careful from now on…someone's out to get us but we'll find out who it is."

"And when we do…" Sirius' words drifted off.

"We'll get even," Remus finished, falling back onto his bed with a loud groan, "But for now, all I'm going to do is sleep."

"Yeah," James pulled off his sweaty dirty shirt, "As soon as I shower, I'll be doing the same."

The other two boys nodded in agreement.

They were exhausted and somewhat resentful over a detention they felt was a little too heavy for what they had done but at the least they weren't forbidden to attend the Quidditch try-outs on the weekend.

That would have been absolutely cruel.

* * *

_Saturday Morning: 3rd Person_

The excitement was thick as the crowd of Hogwarts' students headed towards the Quidditch pitch, voices raised in near shouts as they compared team players and stating statistics of teams present to scout out the players.

Hollie moved up the stairs, her hand tight around Remus' to make sure she wouldn't be lost in the crush of bodies around them, "Remus, how are we going to know which teams pick Alex and Dominic?"

Remus looked over his shoulder at her, giving Sam a quick smile before looking back at Hollie, "There's no need to yell Hols. You're practically riding on my shoulder. Anyway, the team scouts have color coded cards…they hand them out to the players they want to try out for their teams…I heard each team is only taking four players but I have no idea which positions."

"Do you think they'll get picked by the same teams," she followed behind him as they tried to find open stands…there were none. Pushing through the crowd, Remus finally found some open space by the railing, pulling Hollie to stand in front of him before covertly taking Sam's elbow to move her next to him, Sirius crowding in behind her with James shoving to get to Remus' other side. Lily and Robin squeezed in between Sam and Sirius, Peter next to them as people shoved and pushed for a vantage viewing position, necks craning to find the team scouts.

"Oh look," Hollie yelled as she pointed across the field, "That's the scout for the Holly Harpies! That's my team!"

"I can't believe you go for them Hollie," James elbowed her on the side, laughing when she shoved him, "You know the Chudley Cannons are the best."

"They're nothing compared to the Switzerland team," Remus joined the debate, occasionally glancing at Sam, keeping his elbows slightly out so no one squeezed in between them, "Dad's hoping they give Alex a card."

"I didn't know there were so many Quidditch players at Hogwarts," Sam yelled as she leaned against the railing, holding on tight to keep her spot.

"They're not all Hogwarts students," Remus leaned closer to her, ignoring Hollie as she turned to give him a narrow-eyed look, "Students from other schools are here too…not to mention non-students who have been trying to get into a team for years. They don't have age limits on try-outs for professional Quidditch."

"Sure they do," Hollie moved back, stepping hard on Remus' foot before skipping forward, "Sorry, that was an accident."

"Sure it was," Remus muttered under his breath before saying in a louder voice, "Right, I forgot about that. You have to be over seventeen to be able to get into a team."

"They're starting," Sirius yelled out as Madam Hooch stepped onto the field, pointing out people and magically changing the color of their robes to divide them into the two starting teams.

"Yes," Hollie jumped, the top of her head hitting Remus in the chin, "Sorry. Look, Remus! Alex and Dominic are playing the first game…on the same team!"

"Good," Remus grabbed Hollie's shoulders to push her beside him, stepping closer to the railing next to Sam, "I'm moving you before you maim me."

"Yeah, that's the reason why," Hollie muttered under her breath, shocked when Remus turned to glare at her. How the bloody hell did he hear her over this near roaring crowd?

Turning her attention back to the game, they watched as the players tried to outshine each other, some of them succeeding, others simply embarrassing themselves.

Cheers resounded among the large crowd as favorite players got chosen, booing when others were pulled out of the game and replaced.

"Alex got a card," Hollie screamed, jumping up and down in excitement as Alex swooped by, dropping down to the pitch to hand the snitch to Madam Hooch before a new one was released.

"You're paying so much attention to my brother, you missed your brother getting one too," Remus grinned down at her, chuckling as she turned to stare up at him.

"He did?" She blushed as she cleared her throat, "I meant to say I know he did."

"Sure you did," Remus laughed as she gave him a dark look before turning her attention back to the game.

"He just got another one," Hollie screamed, pointing towards Alex as he took a card from a scout, the snitch in his other hand.

Remus laughed as he pointed several feet to the left of Alex where Dominic was taking his second offered card, "So did your brother. Anyway, just waiting for –yes! Switzerland gave Alex a card! That's my brother! Now I can go study."

"What," Hollie turned to look at Remus in shock, "You're leaving?"

"I have to study Hols," Remus shrugged, noticing that James and Sirius were completely unaware of their conversation, "Finals start on Monday, remember?"

"There's plenty of time to study Remus," Hollie crossed her arms over her chest, "Don't you want to see how many cards your brother gets?"

"I only wanted to see him get the one that mattered and he just did. Besides," he smiled at Hollie, "I'm sure you'll be able to tell me exactly how many cards my brother got…but make sure you count your brother's too…because he's your brother after all."

"Oh, go away," Hollie turned back towards the pitch, completely forgetting Remus' teasing as Alex rushed after another snitch, not noticing when Lily, Robin and Sam followed after Remus.

"Hey, Remus, wait up."

Remus turned to watch as Sam, Lily and Robin walked towards him, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, unable to keep himself from smiling at Sam, "Are you heading back to the castle?"

"Yes," Robin moved to his left, Lily by her side as Sam walked on Remus' right side, "I have to study Astronomy. All those constellations are going to be the death of me."

"Doesn't Hollie help you," Remus shortened his long strides, trying to drag out the walk back to the castle as long as possible, "She's good at Astronomy."

"Oh, she's excellent," Robin exclaimed, skipping a bit before settling back into a walk, "It's just that…"

"What?"

"Those bloody stars won't stop moving!"

They all laughed, knowing that Robin's heated proclamation was the root of the trouble many had in understanding Astronomy.

"Hollie being able to predict exactly where the stars will be in a month from today is almost like she can see into the future," Robin lifted her shoulders in apology for her fanciful thinking, not seeing how Sam tensed up at her remark…but Remus noticed.

"You alright, Sam," he asked, looking down into her brown eyes, blushing as he tripped on a rock, "Gotta watch where I'm walking."

"The ground's kind of uneven," Sam's soft voice helped him feel less embarrassed as they got closer to the castle.

"Yeah, I guess it is. You girls heading to the library or your dorm room," Remus asked as he opened the big oak door, letting them go in first.

"Dorm room," they said in unison, smiling as he grinned at them.

"I'll see you girls later then."

They waved at him, walking down the hall towards the stairs that would lead them up to the Gryffindor tower.

Remus stood there, watching them walk away, smiling as he raised his hand for one last wave when Sam looked over her shoulder at him, waving back before she turned the corner.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he turned towards the direction of the library, thinking over his dilemma. If he didn't find a way to bridge the canyon-like gap between Hollie and Sam, he was going to be forever doomed in pretending that he had no interest in getting to know Sam as a friend…or perhaps as something more.

For the sake of his sanity, he was going to have to find a way…


	20. End of Year

**AN: We've finally finished first year! **

* * *

**End of Year**

_Sam's POV_

I sat at one of the tables in the library with my History of Magic notes in front of me. I preferred studying in the library because it was always quiet. Sometimes the common room just got too noisy and Hollie was currently studying in our room. I just didn't feel like being around her right now.

It was so much easier to concentrate on finals once Lily's parents returned her owl stating that I could stay with them for the summer holiday. It was a relief knowing I had somewhere to go. Maybe I would try to contact my brothers again during the summer but I couldn't think about that right now. My first priority was passing first year. The rest could get pushed to the back of my head until finals were over.

I kept reading through my History of Magic notes and quizzing myself using the date timeline that Robin had made and let me copy. It made it so much easier to remember the dates when you were studying them from an actual timeline versus from paragraphs in a textbook. Robin was so smart. Of course she said she did it to keep herself awake in class but it was probably the reason why she had top marks. I was going to have to do this myself next year instead of just copying Robin's work.

A movement on my side caught my attention. I looked up and saw Remus walking up to my table.

"Mind if I join you? The other tables are full." He asked nervously when he reached me.

"That's fine," I wasn't going to say no. We weren't really friends but I wasn't going to make him sit on the floor.

Remus looked at the papers in front of me as he sat down. "That's a timeline for History of Magic. It's brilliant! Wish I thought of it."

"Too bad I didn't think of it either. Robin let me borrow hers. I'll have to do one myself next year because it's really helped a lot."

Remus opened his backpack and pulled out his book and notes. Then he looked, once again, at the papers in front on me, "would you mind…" he pointed at the timeline.

"Not at all." I answered as I pushed the paper towards him.

"Thanks."

"Welcome."

We sat in silence as we both studied although a thought came into my mind. What would he do if Hollie came into the library? According to her Remus wasn't supposed to talk to me. Of course it wasn't likely that she would come because she knew I was here. We tended to avoid each other when possible.

* * *

_Remus' POV_

I looked down at the dates and the corresponding information. This was a brilliant idea. Why hadn't I thought of it? Oh well, I would just have to remember to do it next year.

As I studied, I couldn't help but hope that Hollie didn't come in here and see me sharing a table with Sam. She wouldn't be too pleased but I would simply tell her the truth. All the other tables were full so it was sharing a table with Sam or sit on the floor and sitting on the floor wasn't very conducive for studying. So I really didn't have a choice. Besides I hadn't known Sam was in the library when I came in. Sure I had seen her earlier with her backpack walking in the direction of the library but that didn't mean that's where she was going. How was I supposed to know where she was going? I'm not a mind reader.

I turned my attention back to my notes and textbook. If I wasn't paying attention, studying wouldn't do me much good. History was full of goblins, giants, vampires…I held back a shudder of anger…bloody vampires.

"Remus, are you alright?" Sam's voice was full of concern. Apparently some of the anger slipped through.

"Fine, I was just reading about vampires. I don't like them very much." I tried to keep the growl out of my voice. It usually wasn't very easy when talking about vampires.

"I suppose I can't blame you for that one," a small smile spreading on her face, "they're not exactly pleasant."

"Not exactly pleasant," I chuckled, "that's the understatement of the year... they're stupid bloodsuckers."

* * *

_3rd Person_

No one was talking although the silence in the large classroom wasn't absolute.

The furious scratching of feather quills against parchment dominated over the shuffling of feet, the occasional cough or clearing of the throat, throwing in something random to the monotony as the first year students worked on their essays.

Professor Binns had assigned each of them with an essay question, stating he required two feet of parchment to even bother reading their responses, all of them having one hour.

As their last exam before heading home tomorrow morning, the first years were not happy at having to force themselves to focus, all of them already halfway out of Hogwarts –intellectually speaking, that is.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

Staring down at my question, I frowned as I nibbled on my bottom lip. Why, of all questions, did I have to get this one?

_The goblin wars were in what century? Explain in complete sentences the outcome of the wars and the effect those outcomes still have in Wizarding societies today._

Merlin, how I hated goblins.

Letting out a sigh as I looked around the room, I looked down at my blank parchment before looking over Black's bent head to see how much time I had left…great, just fifty five minutes to write a two foot essay.

Well, I supposed my hatred for those dirty treasure hungry goblins was no reason not to get this stupid essay done…I was just going to have to write fast.

_Goblin and wizard relations have always been fraught with tension but the actual rebellions and bloodshed known as the Goblin wars are known to have happened during the fifteenth and sixteenth century._

_Although the goblins fought with all they had available to them, which included goblin-made indestructible weapons and magic not guided by wands, they were overpowered by the wizards and their own harnessed magic._

_Many lives were lost through these rebellions that ultimately became war after war, among them wizard Lojhan Hershwit, who was known as being a supporter of goblin-wizard equality. This clear betrayal on the goblins' part against someone who they called 'friend' proved that their love for gold and silver surpasses the important things such as loyalty and friendship, which they feel are merely passing human fancies._

_Their loss resulted in them coming under the protection of the Ministry of Magic as inferior magical creatures, being represented during disputes (most of which are concerning goblin made treasures bought and owned by wizards and witches) by the Goblin Liaison Office of the Department for the Magical Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures._

_The Ministry's denial to allow goblins the use of wands is one of the many issues that are still a point of contention between goblins and wizards. Even though they have no need for wands to perform their magic, they feel that not being allowed to use a wand just as wizards and witches do, places them in an inferior position in the magical world._

_Another point of contention between goblins and wizards that has bled throughout the centuries of tense communications involves the giving of goblin made items as heirlooms, from wizard to wizard, witch to witch._

_Being that they are extremely concerned with their treasures and feel that whatever is made by goblins belongs to goblins despite the payment they receive from wizards for their wares, it becomes a tense situation between those owning heirlooms made by goblins and the goblin community who feels they should have their wares returned upon the death of the buyer._

_Their bloodthirsty nature has been, in effect, a major factor upon the rebellions and riots that occasionally arise. Although they demand to no longer be treated as second class citizens, not many wizards are willing to stand by their side to help being that it is obvious from history, goblins have no problem stabbing friends in the back to achieve what they want._

* * *

_Remus' POV_

I let out a sigh as I looked to the left, seeing Hollie two seats away furiously scrawling, her parchment slowly moving up her desk –should have known she would get a question that made it easy to crank out two feet worth of words.

Unlike my question –being that I knew all my professors were aware of my own condition, I couldn't help wondering if Professor Binns had chosen this particular question on purpose.

_There have been multiple werewolf communities in the past years. List and explain three well known events occurring in the past ten years that depict the danger of these communities to wizarding society._

Yeah, he definitely did it on purpose. Who would have thought that a ghost could be prejudiced against werewolves? It wasn't like he could be hurt or anything –even in death, Professor Binns was obviously an arse.

_Werewolf communities have grown exponentially throughout the years but especially in the last five. _

_Although werewolves are merely wizards and witches during the day and any other night that is not the full moon, the stigmatism against them that is prevalent among non-lycanthropic wizards has forced them to band into their own communities. They live in small hamlets throughout Europe, their locations jealously guarded by them in fear of the Ministry of Magic._

_The Ministry of Magic's attempt at not just regulating and controlling what they see as inferior magical beings (or beasts since werewolves fall under both categories) but at destroying them has caused many of these lycanthropic beings to retaliate._

_One incident involved the wizarding town of Mudpuddle…during a full moon night, three werewolves went on a biting spree, infecting a total of fifty children and killing three adults. Their reasoning behind this atrocious event consisted of retaliation against the capture and execution of seven werewolves, all of them between the ages of fifteen and twenty._

_Another event concerned an official of the Ministry. His support for Mackinnley Heyworth's anti-werewolf legislation was so absolute that his fifteen year old son searched out and found a small werewolf community within the forest several miles from his own home. The foolish boy set fire to the forest in the middle of a half moon night, killing many witches and wizards, among them ten children._

_In retaliation, a werewolf known as Fenrir Greyback attacked the official, and now the man is in hiding, dreading that same anti-werewolf legislation he so vehemently supported._

_A third event…_

* * *

_Robin's POV_

I let out a heavy breath, the strand of hair falling down over my eyes fluttering before setting in place.

I was so ready to just go home and relax. Go to the park with Cammie and catch up on what she has been doing at Oxford.

I was really close to my older sister, had always loved and admired her, thinking she was the most intelligent and beautiful girl ever. I had hoped to follow in her footsteps and go to Oxford but since I ended up with most of mum's genes, here I was, writing an essay on dark wizards and their attempts at taking over the world of magic.

_Which wizard coined the phrase "For the Greater Good"? In complete sentences, tell of the rise and fall concerning this wizard, where he is now and how the wizarding world would differ if the above wizard had succeeded._

Rolling my eyes, I let out another heavy breath, pushing the strand of hair behind my ear as I began to answer the question, thinking how it really was a ridiculous question concerning the situation going on with that psycho You-Know-Who.

_Gellert Grindelwald was born in 1882 to pure-blood parents. _

_He attended as a first year student at Durmstrang Institute in 1894 where he focused most of his studying towards the Dark Arts. His experimentation with dark magic getting him expelled at sixteen for sadistically experimenting on fellow students to the point of nearly killing several of them._

_It was after his expulsion that Grindelwald began working towards accomplishing his goal, which was to enforce his belief of Muggles being subservient to wizards. During this time, he used the phrase "For the Greater Good" to justify his actions against Muggles, as well as wizards and witches who opposed him._

_As the years passed, he gained more power, as well as support from what was known as Gellert Grindelwald's Army. At the height of his power, he built a prison known as Nurmengard in order to hold those who opposed him._

_His motto was carved over the entrance of the prison and its location on an island in the middle of a sea made it unconquerable._

_His defeat came at the very height of his power and it was dealt by Albus Dumbledore in 1945. The duel is, to this day, known as a legendary one, ending with Grindelwald's imprisonment in Nurmengard, where he had once held all those opposing his beliefs._

_It is believed by many that Grindelwald's growing power within the magical and Muggle community had to do with his manipulation of people and events, as well as his unhealthy fascination with the Dark Arts._

_Had Grindelwald succeeded, there wouldn't be a distinction between Muggles and wizards –instead, Muggles would be subservient to wizards, slaves to the whims of magic but only of those who were in support of Grindelwald._

_It would truly be a dark world to live in, with many believing that because they had magic in their blood, they had the right to enslave those who don't for their own desires and pleasures._

* * *

_Lily's POV_

One more question and I was done with finals.

_The treaty made_...I jumped slightly when Potter suddenly kicked my chair. I scowled in frustration before starting to read the question again.

_The treaty made between the giants_ … The nerve of him! I glared down at my test paper. If he keeps kicking my chair…

_The treaty made between the giants and the Ministry_…I turned my head and glared at him. All he did was grin. He was such a pain in the arse. If he kicked my chair one more time, he was going to regret it.

_The treaty made between the giants and the Ministry of Magic_…that's it! I reached out behind my chair pinching him in the leg, hard, and he jumped in response. I smiled in satisfaction and turned, once again, to the essay question.

_The treaty made between the giants and the Ministry of Magic was signed in what year? Explain in complete sentences the three points raised in the treaty that giants must adhere to. _

I slightly glanced behind me and saw Potter rubbing his leg. I couldn't help but keep smiling. He wasn't going to be kicking my chair again so I would be able to write my answer without his interruptions.

* * *

_James' POV_

Ridiculous, so stupidly ridiculous.

I kicked at the back leg of the seat in front of me, grinning when Evans turned to glare in response, her pretty green eyes narrowed in warning before she turned her attention back to her essay.

I was so ready to get out, go home and just relax for a couple of months. Maybe drive Jameen crazy…she was our house-elf, a withered little thing with an actual French accent that spent all her time chasing after me, trying to get me to behave.

Staring down at my question, I frowned before looking to my right, swallowing back a laugh at the sight of Sirius, elbow on the desk, cheek on hand, his eyes closed as he continued to move his quill across the parchment, more than likely making everything up.

There was an idea.

Looking back down at my question, I mindlessly kicked the chair again, jumping slightly when Evans reached back to pinch my leg really hard.

_What year was the use of wands prohibited to house-elves? In complete sentences, explain the reasons behind this law and how it's affected the house-elves since it was passed. _

Oh, like it really bloody mattered. Damned Jameen merely had to snap her knobby little fingers and I found myself trying to catch all the things thrown around my room that she had told me to pick up and I didn't.

She really needed to learn her place…mum and dad's fault, really, for letting her practically raise me…she actually thought she could order me around…

_Nice trick question, Professor._

_House-elves have never been allowed to use wands. As second class magical creatures, there has been no need for their use of wands being that their own brand of magic can be used without them…_

* * *

_Sam's POV_

I held back a laugh as I watched Lily pinch James in the leg. Served him right for constantly kicking her chair. Thankfully Remus, who was sitting behind me, wasn't kicking mine. He seemed to be stalking me but at least he wasn't downright annoying. I froze. When did the stalking stop bothering me? That was probably a bad sign. Being used to someone stalking you could not be a good thing. Well…at least I knew he wasn't a crazed lunatic who wanted to murder me. That was a plus.

I turned my attention back to the test and read the essay question again. _What was the name of the witch burned multiple times at the stake during the Fourteenth Century? In complete sentences, explain three of the crimes she was accused of, and corresponding years, and why she couldn't have done them._

I quickly thought of the three crimes I wanted to write about. Wendelin the Weird had allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times because she enjoyed being burnt at the stake. She was in different disguises of course so the Muggles wouldn't catch on.

* * *

_Sirius' POV_

I jerked awake when my elbow slipped off the edge of the desk, looking around the room to make sure no one had seen my face almost slamming into the desk.

Shaking my head, I looked down at the essay I had apparently been writing while dozing off, my eyebrows lowering as I tried to make sense of what I had written.

"One minute," Professor Binn's flat voice called out as I finished reading the first paragraph.

Ah, crap. One minute to figure out what the hell I had written and complete the damn essay.

Quickly scanning over the other two paragraphs, I dipped my quill into the ink well, quickly scrawling the last five words to end my sentence, placing a period as the parchment rolled up and yanking itself out from under the quill nib.

Watching as it joined the other rolls of parchment on Binn's desk; I set my quill down, letting out a yawn.

It was now out of my hands…oh, thank Merlin, the school year was over and I could do something other than study.

* * *

_Sam's POV_

It was hard to believe the school year had come to end. Exams were over and all that was left was packing. The train left in the morning.

At least I had somewhere to go. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was so thankful to Lily and her parents for giving me a place to stay during the break. It took a load of stress off of me.

"I can't believe the year is over," Lily echoed my thoughts, "it's gone by so fast."

"No kidding. Sometimes it feels like we just got here although it sure is nice to be on break."

"Except you can't forget our summer assignments." Lily commented as she placed more clothes in her trunk.

"Yuck. The words summer and assignments should not go together." Robin interjected with a grimace.

"At least we have all summer to work on them."

"We just finished exams. Why are you talking about summer homework? My brain needs a break." I stated as I dropped more clothes into my trunk.

For the next few days, weeks even, I planned on doing absolutely nothing except writing to my brothers. That one was on the top of my list. If they didn't respond to that, I would have my answer. It would be them, not my mother. I had tried to not think of that possibility and had, for the most part, succeeded. The thought was painful but it didn't seem possible. At least for Billy. My big brother not wanting to contact me? It just couldn't be possible. He looked after me for as long as I could remember. To just drop me like I never existed didn't feel right. It wasn't who Billy was.

My mother must somehow be keeping my brothers from replying. I paused in my thinking as another thought hit me. She was intercepting my letters. That would make more sense. Once Billy got a letter from me, he'd find a way to reply. It would be easy for him to sneak one out in the middle of the night.

If I was right about this, my brothers had also wondered why I hadn't written to them. They must be worried about me especially Billy. Yes, writing them was the first thing on my list for this summer. I bit my lip as I thought about it while I packed. If our mother was intercepting the letters, I had to get sneaky about it. I could send it through the muggle post. It would be less obvious that way but then she'd see my name with the return address. If I did that, I would be trusting that my mother wouldn't pick up the mail…or my father. I didn't know what he would do with it but I was determined to figure this out.

* * *

_Remus' POV_

The train came to a halt in King's Cross Station. Part of me was relieved the school year was over. None of my friends had discovered my secret during the year and I wouldn't have to worry about it over the summer…except for Hollie. Well at least I just had to worry about one person. I didn't have to worry about Uncle Chris, Aunt Jess or Dominic. My parents and brother had them covered.

I stepped off the train looking around for my parents. Hollie was next to me with both of us knowing our parents would be together. If we were lucky, our fathers would be here. They would be easier to spot in this crowd.

I saw Sam walking with Lily towards two people I could only assume were Lily's parents. The woman's hair was the same shade of red. The odd thing was Sam didn't seem interested in finding her own parents. She didn't go home at Christmas. Didn't she want to see her family?

"Oi, Remus," James said grabbing my attention, "Sirius and I decided we should get together sometime this summer. Start making plans for next year."

James' mysterious smile was contagious and I nodded my head in agreement, "maybe we could meet at your house." As much as I didn't like getting into trouble, I couldn't deny that the pranks were fun. As long as they were in reason that is but that didn't mean I wanted to risk my dad walking into our prank planning.

James walked off and I turned my attention towards Hollie who had just said good-bye to Robin.

"Have you seen our parents?" She asked me apparently not noticing that I had been talking to James.

"Haven't looked. I've been talking to James."

I looked out and easily found our fathers. My dad was almost a head taller than most of the crowd. Our brothers were already walking towards them. "There they are. Alex and Dominic are already headed over there."

Hollie and I pushed our way through the crowd dragging our trunks behind us.


	21. Summer Vacation

**AN: **Here's another long chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

**Summer Vacation **

_Chris' POV_

Double checking the last protective charms downstairs, I let out a sigh before heading upstairs.

I was exhausted, mostly because it's been long hours at the Ministry on top of the long hours with the Order, but even that wasn't as tiring as being home to deal with my wife's pretense of our perfect life.

Stopping outside my daughter's door, I leaned against the door frame, quietly watching her as she wrote in her journal. She was the reason why I pretended –she deserved to believe her parents had learned to love each other.

The brief memory of gray eyes and curly hair brought along that pang of regret for not having the courage to go after what I really had wanted –after the one I had really loved…sometimes I envied Matt for having broken away from his family's expectations when I couldn't do the same. I watched as she wiped a hand across her cheek before going back to writing, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

She alone could banish that regret, "You okay, baby?"

Hollie gasped, closing her journal as she gave him a wide eyed stare, "You scared me, Daddy."

"That wouldn't have happened," I pushed away from the door, moving across the large bedroom to nudge her dog Zeus to the side so I could sit at the foot of her bed, "If you were vigilant."

Hollie's nose wrinkled, smiling as she rolled her eyes, "I know…constant vigilance."

"Exactly," I squeezed her toes as she tucked the Muggle pen into her journal before placing it in her bedside table drawer, "Now tell me what's wrong."

I watched her face as she debated with herself, her entire thought process reflected in her dark eyes, the soft light from her bedside lamp allowing me to see all of this.

"Mum isn't going to let me go to Texas for extreme sports week."

I saw the disappointment in her eyes as I leaned back against the footboard, "Why not?"

Again, I watched her debate with herself but I knew she would tell me the truth –she had been young the one and only time I had to teach her the consequences of lying. It had hurt me more than her but in the end, she had learned never to lie –especially to me.

"I got in some trouble at school," she dropped her eyes, plucking at the flowered comforter spread over her legs, "Aunt Minnie wrote mum a letter and now she won't let me go to Texas."

Looking up at me, she didn't see the anger growing inside me, only the assurance that I would understand, "What did you do?"

She bit her lip before answering, "I punched James' in the stomach and broke Black's nose."

I held back the smile that threatened –it wasn't good to encourage violent behavior but that didn't mean I couldn't privately be proud of my little girl, "Why?"

"They messed with my hair! Somehow, they got my shampoo bottle and put in peroxide. I had bright orange hair for a whole day!"

"Hollie," I quirked an eyebrow at her, "You have the ability to fix that so why react so violently?"

"Honestly? I kinda forgot."

She lowered her eyes at the look of displeasure that crossed my face, "That means you haven't been exercising the way I told you too."

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she gave me that wide eyed look that always got her out of trouble with me, "It's just that with lectures and homework and everything else, it slipped my mind."

"I guess I'm going to have to send you daily reminders this coming school year, hmm?"

I chuckled at the look on her face, finally standing and leaning down to press a kiss against her forehead, cupping her chin to tilt her face up –she knew I would come through for her, "I'll talk to your mum."

"Thanks Daddy," she threw her arms around my neck with exuberance –there was no point in telling her not to get her hopes up, "Now go to sleep."

"I love you Daddy."

I smiled as she snuggled under her blankets, her long hair in one thick braid over one of her shoulder, "I love you more."

Her response, as always, was that beautiful smile she had inherited from my mother and younger sister.

I turned the lamp off with a wave of my hand, closing the door behind me. Pressing my hand against the middle of the cherry wood door, I put up the charms, throwing in the extra ones I've always used since she had been born –these, no one knew so if somehow, someone was able to get passed my wards and into my home, they would never get my daughter.

Turning to walk down the hall, I bypassed Dominic's room –there was no point, the boy was still sore at me for not allowing him to play Quidditch. The very idea of a Belledrex playing for a career…I wasn't going to allow it.

Opening the door to the bedroom I shared with Jess, I stood just inside the threshold, watching her as she brushed out her long blond hair, back to the door as she stared out the window.

She was beautiful –I couldn't deny that with her eyes the color of sapphires and that angelic face, she could steal the breath of any man, including myself.

I tilted my head, watching as the thin strap of her ice blue nightgown slipped off her shoulder. She indeed captivated many with that ethereal look and a body meant for a man's pleasure but I myself knew what lurked inside her.

"Why didn't you show me the letter?"

Stopping mid-stroke, she slowly turned to look over her shoulder, full lips tight as she studied me with those cat shaped eyes of her, "What letter?"

And that right there was why I struggled to keep the façade behind closed doors –she was a lying bitch, "You know what letter."

Her eyes dropped, a faint blush stealing across her face as she turned to look out the window, resuming her grooming, "Minerva addressed it to me."

"Yet, the topic addressed in the letter was my daughter."

"She's my daughter too."

I ignored the tightness in her voice, moving towards the en suite, "You carried her for nine months, birthed her but we both agreed she's mine. You have your son and I have my daughter."

"He's yours too."

I finished removing my shirt, stepping out as I gave her a dark look, "Is he?"

As always, I could see it in her blue eyes –the truth that she knew I knew of her lies. Cutting her eyes to the side, she ran her finger through the bristles of her brush, her voice soft with shame, "Of course."

Her insistence on holding onto that lie made it impossible for me to feel anything but anger. There was once a time when I thought I could learn to care for this woman despite us being strangers, and I had told her so –along with giving her fair warning of my only demand from her.

Complete and total honesty…that was the reason why it didn't eat at me –my behavior towards her, that is.

Moving around to her side of the bed, I pulled her head back to look into her deceiving blue eyes, my hand a tight fist in that thick golden mane of hers, "You will not make decisions about my daughter without consulting me first. Is that understood?"

I could see the warring emotions in those crystalline eyes of hers, could feel the heat coming from her body as she tried to breathe evenly without success.

Merlin, how I hated her…her insistence on holding on to that lie had ruined every chance for us to find happiness, but at times I hated myself even more because despite my heart being closed off to her, my body still desired hers.

"Answer me."

She swallowed with some difficulty, dropping her eyes as she softly answered, "I understand."

I slowly pushed her back onto the bed, pushing her thighs apart with one knee as I dragged my hand up her smooth leg, the silk gown coming along for the ride, "Good."

She closed her eyes as I dipped my head to press an open mouthed kiss against her throat, the clean smell of her skin setting my blood on fire.

She was my wife so I had no qualms taking what was mine and she never resisted, silently enduring my treatment of her as an object of lust and contempt…as if she were taking it as punishment for her lie.

How I hated us.

* * *

_Remus' POV_

I sat at the kitchen table working on my homework. The sooner I got it done, the better. Besides, Hollie wasn't here to distract me. She was with her cousins for extreme sports week and I idly wondered if she'd run into my cousin Gabriel. He often participated in some of those events.

I looked up from my homework and saw Zeus in the living room –we were dog sitting while Hollie was gone. This was as close as he got to me. He used to be my dog. We used to be inseparable. He would sleep on my bed...although Mum never knew that one. If Dad did, he didn't care. Then came the summer we went to Switzerland and Zeus went to Hollie's while we were gone but we never came back. Not until right before this past school year anyway.

At least Zeus' reaction to me was better than Mum's cat. Zeus mainly just avoided me, keeping as much distance as possible. The few times I got too close, he growled while quickly retreating from the room. The cat, however, never left the room without making a huge fuss. Whenever we were in the same room, she would hiss at me before escaping. If I was too close, she would take a swipe at me. Mum gave her away while we were still in Switzerland. I kind of felt sorry for Mum because she had that cat since she was eleven but I sure did not miss it.

"Morning Remus," Dad walked into the room, opening the fridge to get something to eat.

"Morning, Dad. I thought you would be at the ministry by now. It's almost noon."

"I worked most of the night so I'm going in later. I thought of staying there but your Uncle Chris ordered me to get some sleep," he walked over to sit down next to me, "What are you working on? Or should I say trying to work on?"

I looked down at the blank page, "Transfiguration. I have to write an essay." At least my book was opened to the right page.

Instead of starting my homework, I looked over at Zeus. He hadn't moved much but his demeanor had changed. His head was no longer resting on the floor and fear no longer the primary emotion showing –Dad made all the difference. Zeus liked him but even more importantly, he trusted him. I was willing to bet that as soon as Dad left the kitchen, Zeus would follow him with his tail wagging.

"Huh," Dad got up, grabbed a box from the cupboard and then sat back down, "I have an idea."

I looked at the box, "Dog treats for transfiguration?" I looked down at my book again –was I missing something?

"What?" Confusion covered my dad's face for a moment, "Oh, not that. For Zeus."

I couldn't help but glance back at Zeus, not only had he sat up but he had moved closer as well. He had noticed the treats, "What about him?"

"Well," Dad briefly paused as he reached into the box and pulled out a handful of the dog biscuits, "I was thinking if you started to give him treats, he might start associating you with them and stop being so afraid of you. It's worth a shot, don't you think?"

I nodded my head. The idea did make sense because Zeus loved those things. Dad had used them, along with toys, for training when he was a puppy and Hollie spoiled him with them.

Dad looked at his watch and slightly groaned, "I need to leave soon. Remus, when I get home –"

"You want my transfiguration homework done?" I interrupted with an answer to his question.

"No," Dad gave me a look that implied he thought I was crazy, "You have the rest of the summer to do your homework. There's probably a reason why the page is blank –your brain needs a break."

"If I finish it now, I won't have to worry about it."

Dad sighed and shook his head with a small smile on his face, "You are so much like your mother. Seriously Remus –take a break from the work and relax."

"Okay." I nodded my head in agreement and closed my textbook.

Of course I couldn't say no even if I really wanted too –not when he said it like a command. Sometimes he didn't mean too but the small smile on his face confirmed that this time was on purpose. I looked down at my notebook and closed it as well. He probably was right on this one.

* * *

_Hollie's POV_

It was cold up in the Alps but thanks to Uncle Jack's charm, none of us felt it.

Cade worked on buffing his snowboard, wanting the bottom as slick as possible so it'll glide over the snow faster.

"So how was your first year at Hogwarts," Reba, Cade's twin sister, asked as she tightened her snow boots, the red and black snowboard she used standing next to her in the snow.

"Great," I made sure the foot bindings on my own board were tight–a silver and blue pattern meant to honor my Ravenclaw ancestry, "Remus moved back and we're in the same house."

"That's good," she nodded, her long dark hair in braids down the sides of her face, "You've missed him something fierce, huh?"

"Yep," I nodded, the gold and maroon beanie I had pulled over my head a perfect match to the scarf wrapped around my neck, "We've caught up –it's like he never left."

"Now that's a true best friend," Cade stood up, stuffing the rag into his coat's pocket as the overhead system announced the beginning of the race.

Pulling his snow goggles down to adjust them over his eyes, he looked over at us, "Alright, girls. We're a team of three. Keep it smooth, keep it fast and remember to keep it close."

Reba rolled her eyes as I giggled, both of us taking our snowboards and following after him towards the start up line, "Who died and made you coach?"

I laughed, dropping my board unto the powdery snow and stepping into the bindings, Cade leaning down to snap them into place before doing the same thing for Reba, "I'm the oldest so –"

"By three minutes," Reba interrupted, pulling her tinted goggles down from her head, "That doesn't give you automatic leadership."

The overhead system boomed out, "In your places, everyone!"

"Alphabetically, it does," Cade snapped himself in place, his board several inches longer than ours due to his height –at thirteen, he was a couple of inches away from six feet, "'C' before 'R', sis."

"Ready?"

"And 'R' after 'H'," I joked, sliding myself between my cousins, both taller and older than myself.

"Set?"

"You two are butt monkeys," Reba tossed out as I lowered my goggles, getting them right where I liked them just as the announcer yelled, "Go!"

The rush was instantaneous, the cold air whipping across my face without its usual bite thanks to Uncle Jack. As I maneuvered down the steep hills, keeping my knees bent and body slightly forward to maintain my balance, I slid past several of the other competitors, Cade a few feet before me and Reba close beside me.

The snow flew at the other side of my board as I hit a jump just at the right angle, my stomach suspended in air until I landed on solid ground, managing to keep myself upright as I flew right past Cade.

I knew the advantage wasn't going to last –my cousins were the superior snowboarders after all but I was going to hang onto the lead as long as I could.

Just a few yards from the finish line, Cade whizzed right by me, Reba flanking him on the left. Now, all I had to do was stay right at their heels so we could finish together.

Crossing the finish line mere seconds behind Reba, I couldn't hear the cheering crowd over the roaring in my ears –my blood was flowing fast and my heart beating furiously. The only thing that could surpass competing in X-treme Sports Week was flying.

Turning my hips, I slid to a stop, sending a wave of snow flying, laughing as it sprayed Cade, "That was awesome!"

"We came in second," Reba removed her goggles as the times were announced, reaching up to pull off her black and red beanie.

"That's alright," Cade ran his hands over his shaggy hair, the color so dark it looked blue in the bright sunlight, "We get to race again tomorrow."

"The solo competition is after lunch," Reba crouched down to remove her boots from their binding, sinking into the snow as soon as she stepped out of them, "Let's go get something to eat."

I nodded, still feeling the adrenaline rushing through me as I stepped out of my board, "I need to go shopping after that. My friends are expecting souvenirs."

"Even that Sam girl," Reba grinned at me, knowing all about my prank war with Sam –she had enough letters from me to get an inkling as to the situation.

Wrinkling my nose, I kept my board under my right arm, "Mum's not here to force me into buying her anything."

"I think I've got the perfect prank for her," Reba hopped in excitement as we reached the cable cars that would take us down to the base of the mountain where the small town hosting the events was, "If she doesn't cave at this one then she's one tough chickie."

I laughed, always finding it amusing when my cousin –with her Texas accent as thick as molasses (her saying, not mine) –tried to use English slang.

"So are you interested," Reba stepped into the car behind Cade, several more snow boarders stepping in behind me.

"Oh yeah," I nodded, the thick braid down my back swishing against the fabric of my blue and silver coat, "Keen as mustard."

"Uh?"

Laughing again, I pushed my goggles up to the top of my head, "It means I'm interested."

* * *

_Sam's POV_

I was lying on the bed in Lily's room, flipping through a magazine but it wasn't really holding my attention, "I can't believe they never responded. It just doesn't make sense. The only thing I can think of is they never got them."

"Why would they never get them?" Lily asked but she was already suspicious of the answer.

"My mother probably saw the owl and intercepted it. Stupid school owls. You'd think they'd learn to avoid her."

"There's one way to find out for sure." Lily responded.

"How?"

"Mail them a letter through the post while you're here. Your mother can't intercept a letter that way."

"I thought about that but she'll see my name on the return address if she's the one to get the post."

"I didn't think about that." Lily frowned, obvious disappointment on my behalf showing in her bright green eyes.

Looking at my friend, an idea came to me, "Unless I use your name!"

"Sam, that's brilliant! I can address the envelope just in case your mother can recognize your handwriting."

"Fantastic! Address it to Billy. She'll probably think it's from a girlfriend."

"Would he still open it since I'm not?"

I thought about it for a second as I grabbed paper and a pen for the letter, "Probably. Curiosity always gets the best of him."

Lily went to get an envelope and I started writing the letter, although I wasn't quite sure what to write since I didn't know what had happened. I assumed my mother intercepted my letters but what if I was wrong? I sighed, staring at the paper before making a decision. Short and sweet because what was the point if they weren't going to read it?

_Dear Billy, E.J., and Nate,_

_ I hope you get this letter. I'm assuming you haven't received the ones I sent during the year because I never got a response._

_ The address on the envelope is where I'm staying this summer. Lily is a friend of mine from school and her parents were nice enough to let me stay during the summer._

I paused before signing my name and folding the paper. I'll tell them more depending on the response.

"Finished already?" Lily asked as she walked back into the room and towards her desk. Sitting down, she neatly wrote down her name and address on the back of the envelope.

"Yes. I really just wanted to tell them where I was staying this summer…that way they won't worry about me," I handed her the letter but she didn't take it.

"I don't think my parents would mind if you gave them our phone number –that way you don't have to wait for a response."

"Are you sure?" I asked, not sure myself if I wanted to add a number although I wasn't sure why I was being so hesitant. If I gave them a number, I wouldn't have to wait as long for a response.

Lily nodded her head, "Add it on there. You'll hear from them sooner."

"Right," I opened the letter and added the number at the bottom.

* * *

_Remus' POV_

I tossed a dog treat into the living room near Zeus, the big dog snatching it up before it even touched the floor. Before leaving, Dad had suggested that at some point, possibly in a day or two, I should start throwing the treats shorter distances. In other words, closer and closer to me and hopefully he'd eventually take one from my hand. At the moment, my hopes weren't that high. After Dad left, Zeus went back to his spot in the living room, as far as possible from me and had kept that distance from me all day. He would move closer for the treat but then move right back. I threw one more and then closed the box, not wanting to overdo it.

I sighed not knowing what to do next. During the course of the day I had read, watched TV and thrown dog treats. I was at a loss on what to do now. I'd ask mum if she wanted to play chess but she was busy working on something for that group they had joined. Dad was working long hours, Alex was in Switzerland and the dog wouldn't come near me. Why was I looking forward to coming home? I was going to die of boredom before Hollie came back.

During the school year I had forgotten how bored I had been in Switzerland without Hollie. Granted, Dad was there practically the whole time and I spent a great deal of time with Opa, Oma and other relatives once it was decided I could handle it…I missed them. Opa was always willing to play chess. He loved the game and spending the time with me. Several Christmases ago, the one after the summer that changed my life, he had given me my own set and we had fun breaking it in even though the pieces annoyed him. Opa wasn't used to pieces questioning his orders. It didn't bother me because I was nine so they still talked back most of the time. Sure, I enjoyed playing with Hollie when we were little but Opa was the reason why I loved the game.

I walked into the living room, trying not to notice Zeus leaving the room. Lying down on the couch, I stared up at the ceiling –I was so bored I was watching the ceiling fan slowly spin in circles. This was going to be a long summer. Correction, a long couple of weeks till Hollie got back. I wouldn't be bored then.

It wouldn't be so bad if Alex was here but he was in Switzerland because of tryouts. It had always seemed odd to me that the tryouts were during the Quidditch season. The process was drawn out what with teams having scheduled games. Alex had explained once that they did it this way because the off season was so short. It was only four months with the teams needing most of that time to break in their new players.

I turned slightly, hanging my head off the side of the couch, able to feel my blood succumb to the laws of gravity. Switzerland wasn't a bad idea. Maybe Mum and Dad would let me go there for the time Hollie was gone. I missed my grandparents. I hadn't seen them since last summer. We had planned to go there during Christmas but plans changed due to the psycho. I suppose things could have been worse but Dad had to stay in the country. Thank Merlin Aunt Ana, Uncle Liam and Gabriel had come to visit for a few days.

* * *

_Matt's POV_

Trying to get home, I made my way through the crowded street, looking for a place to Apparate. I was in London so I could go home the muggle way but it would take too long. I only had enough time to eat, and even leftovers of Katie's home cooked meals were better than food I could buy. Besides, spending time with my wife and son appealed more to me than being in a crowded restaurant somewhere. I hadn't seen enough of them lately since I've been spending less time at home, what with Katie and I joining the Order of the Phoenix.

Albus Dumbledore had asked us –along with the Belledrexs, the Potters, and Alastor Moody –to help him fight Voldemort and his followers. Katie had agreed to join the effort but later asked if things were really getting that bad –it was my own fault she had to ask.

She knew the things going on from reading the Prophet but I hadn't told her about the difficulty the Aurors were having trying to get ahead of the lunatic and his followers. I was trying to protect her from the madness slowly taking over the wizarding world which, in retrospect, was completely idiotic. How could she stay safe if she didn't know what was going on?

With being an Auror and helping with the Order, Katie was worried I wasn't getting enough sleep despite my assurance that I was fine –sleep was overrated anyway. I was getting pretty good at taking short naps but what wasn't overrated was seeing my wife. Lately, it seemed we spent the most time together at night…when we were sleeping. I missed her and I had a sinking feeling it was only going to get worse.

I grumbled to myself as I slipped into an empty alley, quickly glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one noticed or followed me. Walking further into the alley, I Apparated home, appearing on our front porch and walking into the house.

Remus' flushed face was the sight that greeted me first, "Remus, why is your face red? What have you been doing?"

He looked at me in confusion for a few seconds before answering,"I was just hanging my head over the side of the couch."

"Why?" I cocked an eyebrow –could he actually be that bored?

He shrugged, "There's nothing else to do."

Yes, apparently he was _that_ bored. Maybe I should have let him work on his homework after all.

"Dad, can I go to Opa and Oma's for a couple of weeks? At least until Hollie comes back."

Spending time with his grandparents would be good for him and they'd be thrilled to have him. Some time ago, my mother had written, wondering if we were planning to visit during the summer.

After a few seconds of thinking it over, I nodded my head, "I don't see why not but I'll run it by your mother first. Is she in the kitchen?"

Remus shook his head, "No, she's still upstairs working. Why are you home so early?"

"I was in the area so I decided to stop in for dinner but I'll talk to your mum first."

Heading upstairs, I knew Katie was in the guest bedroom which was quickly turning into her office. She had been spending most of her time there since we joined the Order.

It was the first room at the top of the stairs, so it wasn't long before I saw her working. Her concentration was absolute so she had yet to notice me. Leaning against the doorframe, I simply watched her. I don't know how Katie did it but no matter what she was wearing or what she was doing, she always looked beautiful.

I asked her once what her secret was but all I got for an answer was a blush across her face and being told that I was ridiculous because she looked horrible –I disagreed. Hell, even being covered in dirt and her hair a mess from working in the garden didn't detract from her beauty.

Although, I supposed I was a bit biased, something Alex had told me after I shared my observations with him. I had assured him he wouldn't have a problem getting on a Quidditch team because he was the best player at tryouts despite not having been there to watch him play. It was the same with Remus. I didn't need to see the grades of the entire class to know he was brilliantly intelligent. I continued to watch Katie –no, I decided –I was not being biased. My wife was the most beautiful woman in the world. I sighed contently. I could watch her all day.

She turned in my direction, finally noticing that I was there, "Matt? What are you doing home? How long have you been there? What time is it?"

I couldn't help smiling as I walked towards her, "A little after six. I just came home to get something to eat."

Her face fell as she looked back at the work in front of her, "I'm sorry I haven't cooked anything. I've been so busy."

"Oh Katie, that's all right. I wasn't expecting you too. Leftovers are just fine."

When I reached her, I ran a hand gently through her hair while the other caressed her cheek. She leaned into the touch as she looked up at me.

"Besides," my voice lowered as I leaned down towards her, "I really came home to see you."

Knowing my intent, Katie stood up on her toes, kissing me back as soon as my lips touched hers. I wound my arms around her, pulling her closer. Been given the opportunity to properly kiss my wife, I had no intention of wasting it.

* * *

_Remus' POV_

A minute or so after Dad went upstairs, I followed. There was no foreseeable reason why Mum would say no so I might as well pack. This way, I'd be ready to leave as soon as they told me I could go. I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I dashed up the stairs. Suddenly, the next two weeks were looking promising.

Once upstairs, I turned in the direction of my room, suddenly wishing I had stayed downstairs…or at least noticed the lack of voices. My parents were in the guest bedroom, arms around each other and in a total lip lock –so gross.

It wasn't uncommon to see them holding hands or giving each other pecks on the cheek but if they were going to do something like that, they should close the door. Well, I assured myself as I continued on to my bedroom, I never had to worry about my parents splitting up.

Walking into my room, I closed the door to make sure I didn't unknowingly witness anything else. Instead of packing, I picked up the book on my dresser. It was going to be a longer wait than expected. What was the point?

* * *

_Matt's POV_

After we pulled apart, I kept my arms around her, not letting her move away. Resting my head on top of hers, I closed my eyes to enjoy the moment. They seemed to be getting fewer these days and I didn't like it. Definitely needed to make the effort to be home more often, otherwise I might forget what was worth fighting for.

"Matt?" Katie interrupted my thoughts, her voice partially muffled due to her head resting against my chest.

"Yes Katie," I responded softly, not wanting to break the quiet peace surrounding us.

She pulled away slightly so she could look up at me, "Did you see Remus when you came in? I haven't talked much to him today. He must be bored out of his mind."

I could tell she was worried about him so I kissed her forehead and started rubbing her back, "I talked to him and he's fine, although he did ask me if he could spend the next couple of weeks at my parents. I told him I'd run it by you first."

She nodded her head, "That's a good idea. They'll be happy to see him."

I couldn't help chuckle being my parents were crazy about both my sons, "That's an understatement. My mother has been sending letters asking when we were coming to visit."

"How many letters has she sent?"

"Well, just one actually but considering how long it was and how many times she mentioned it, I count it as two. Anyway, I was thinking after Remus packs, Dirk could take him." At times like this, having a house elf was nice, besides Dirk went back to my childhood. Heck he went back for as long as I could remember so I had no qualms in trusting him with my son.

Katie took a couple of steps back, moving out of from my arms. This could not be good.

"Dirk's not here."

"What?"

She pointed to the stack of papers on the desk, "I asked him to do a few things to help me out. He's going to be gone for awhile. You'll have to take Remus."

"Me? I have to get back to the ministry. I don't have the time."

Katie put her hands on her hips, looking at me with an unbelieving expression, "You don't have the time? With the wards around your parents' house, I have to Apparate outside the wards and then walk to the house. You can Apparate right at the front door."

I shook my head, frustrated she didn't understand, "At dinner time? You know my mother. I'll be dragged into a family dinner and I really don't have time for that."

"So will I and I'll be gone twice as long as you."

She was not happy. Her hands were still on her hips. If I wasn't careful, she'll move from not being happy to being mad at me.

"We wouldn't be having this discussion if you hadn't limited our floo access. Remus could have flooed over there himself."

Scratch that… she was already mad at me. I should have known she was still upset about that. What she saw as annoying and pointless, I saw as a preemptive strike in protecting my family. So we couldn't floo international right now, sooner or later she'll appreciate the safety it provides us.

"One day you're going to thank me for that," the words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I should not have said that –I knew it was the wrong thing to say and it was just going to make her mad.

Katie scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, "That will be a cold day in hell."

Somehow, the woman managed to look beautiful even when she was glaring at me. I told her that one time, years ago but that only got her angrier, yelling at me for trying to get out of trouble. I can't honestly say that I didn't deserve that even though what I said had been true –still was.

I gave up with a sigh. There really wasn't a point in arguing about this any further, besides, I didn't want her mad at me. No good came from having your wife yelling at you…except maybe for making up. That was always fun.

There was only one way to smooth things over, "Alright. I'll take Remus. I have one condition though."

She looked at me with mild curiosity, "Which is?"

I smiled at her, "Go with me."

"Matt…"

"Katie, the reason I came home for dinner was so I could see you and Remus. I'm not going to Switzerland and have dinner with my parents while you stay here."

Her face softened, telling me her answer before she spoke, "Okay."

I smiled at her, thinking things were better already. Maybe she hadn't been as mad as I thought.

She took a couple of steps toward me, "I'll go tell Remus to pack while you can figure out a way to let your parents know we're coming," she smirked before walking out of the room.

Wrong again –still at square one. Frustrated, I ran a hand through my hair. It was getting longer –I should probably look into a haircut. I shook my head. That was the least of my worries at the moment.

How was I going to contact my parents? The last number of months we'd simply used our owl but that wouldn't work today. We'd get there before the owl. I suppose I could use my two-way mirror with Ana and ask her to floo them but she might not be close to a floo.

Hey! Two-way mirrors! I should buy another set and give one to my parents. What a brilliant idea. Why didn't I think of it sooner?

Oh. Right. I'd have two mirrors, one for Ana and one for my parents and giving the one for my parents to Katie was not an option. Besides, it wasn't going to help with my problem today.

I drummed my fingers against the desk in thought. There had to be way to do this…wait a second…a smile spread across my face as I realized the answer. When I changed the floo, Chris told me I could use his if I needed too.

I walked towards the door whistling, very pleased with myself. Katie thought she had me stuck. Ha! I shouldn't brag about it though. It would get me in more trouble. I stopped whistling as I stepped out into the hallway. Rule one when your wife was upset or mad at you –don't do or say anything that would make it worse. I didn't always follow that very well what with lacking a mind to mouth filter. Words would go flying out of my mouth before I could stop them. Not sure how many times I got myself into trouble because I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

Stopping at the stairs, I remembered Chris wasn't home. He was still at the ministry although Jess was at home. I made a face as I sat down on the top step. There went that idea. Chris wouldn't have a problem with me using the floo but Jess probably would. She might not mind if Katie was the one asking but I was different. I didn't know what it was but I always seemed to be on her bad side –not that I minded much. The feelings were mutual.

I didn't know what to think about that woman. She was Chris' wife, Katie's best friend and god-mother to my children. A part of me knew things were supposed to be different. We were supposed to be a family but having a family member who lied wasn't something I easily accepted or lived with. She just couldn't tell the truth to Chris or any of us, for that matter. She had to know Chris knew –he had given her chance after chance to tell him the truth but she never did. Jess had been lying for eighteen years and would probably never stop.

Neither Katie nor any of the kids knew about it because I never saw it as my place to say anything. The only person I had told was Chris –he needed to know his wife was lying, not only to him but to everyone. Chris made his own decision on how to handle it and I followed his lead. At the time, he was hoping Jess would trust him enough to tell him the truth but she never did, the chasm between them widening as a direct result of her continuous lie.

I stood up and headed down the stairs. If I didn't hurry, Remus would be done packing before I told my parents we were coming. Although it did sound like they were talking more than packing –that would probably work to my advantage since my only option now was calling Ana. I sure hoped she was by a floo.

I sat down on the floor in front of the couch, Zeus lying down next to me and promptly rolling over so I could rub his tummy, which I willingly obliged. He was such a good dog –a beautiful German Shepherd. Why Jess didn't like him around her was beyond me. Even Katie liked him and she was more of a cat person.

I pulled the mirror out of the pockets of my robes, "Ana."

There wasn't a response and I had to refrain from whistling. I used to do that sometimes until Ana complained it made her feel like a dog. It was understandable since I used the same whistle to call a dog but I suppose it wasn't very brotherly to call your sister like you did a dog. It was fun though, until she had enough of it and yelled at me.

"Aanaa…helloo."

Suddenly a face filled the mirror but it wasn't Ana's, "Hey Dad."

"Alex, what…where are you?" Alex picking up was the last thing I expected.

"At Oma and Opa's. Aunt Ana came by and apparently, she's staying for dinner. She's around here somewhere. I can go find her for you."

This was perfect, "No, it's okay. I just need you to give a message to your grandparents for me."

Alex nodded his head in agreement, "Sure, I can do that. What –"

Alex was interrupted by someone who sounded exactly like my mother, "Alex, who are you talking too?"

" Dad."

My mother's face quickly replaced Alex's as she took the mirror from him, "Matthew!"

"Hi Mutti."

"How's everything going? How are you?"

"Katie and I have been really busy."

She nodded her head in understanding although there was a slight sadness in her eyes. She knew that meant a visit wouldn't be likely to happen.

Good thing I knew just the thing to cheer her up so I continued, "With Hollie gone, Remus is extremely bored. He was wondering if he could spend the next couple of weeks with you."

My mother's face lit up, "Of course he can! How soon can he be here?"

I couldn't help laughing, "As soon as he's done packing, both Katie and I will bring him over."

"So will you be staying for dinner?"

There was only one response to that question, "Yes Mutti."

"Wonderful! See you soon Matthew."

"Bye, Mutti."

She handed the mirror back to Alex and I could hear her telling my father we were coming over for a visit.

"When did you find this out? Just now?"

"Yes."

"Well, that is short notice."

"Are you complaining?"

"Of course not. Just stating the obvious."

I said goodbye to Alex, telling him we'd see him shortly.

I continued sitting on the floor, petting Zeus, the dog a puddle of contentment. Part of my brain told me I didn't have the time for a family dinner but the truth was, I wanted to go. I hadn't seen my parents since we moved back to England and to be honest, I missed them…and the mountains. This part of England was too flat and even the Highlands of Scotland couldn't compare with the Swiss Alps surrounding my childhood home.

Neither Chris nor Moody would complain if I was a little late. Both of them had told me I was working too much, plus them knowing my mother meant they would understand the impossibility of saying no to her.

I did miss my family. It made me a little sad both of my sons would be out of the country but I wouldn't be here to spend the time with Remus, not the way I wanted to. He might as well see his grandparents and brother.

I heard Remus talking excitedly behind me. Turning my head, I watched as he and Katie came down the stairs and walking into the living room.

Katie looked at me, trying to hide a smile, "Did you tell your parents we're coming?"

I nodded my head, "I talked to my mother."

Katie couldn't hide her look of astonishment, "How did you manage that?"

I help up the mirror, which was still in my hand, "I lucked out. Ana's currently over there."

"Aunt Ana's there? Awesome! Let's go!"

Without waiting for his parents, he turned and hurried towards the front door, practically running.

"Remus, wait for us," Katie admonished him as I slowly stood up and followed after them.

Oh, to be twelve with limitless energy. Up until we moved back to England, my mother had accused me of the same thing, basically claiming I couldn't sit still long enough for a cup of tea, although at the moment, _laying _on the couch and doing nothing sounded wonderful…a nap also sounded like a good idea. Huh…I _was _tired…maybe sleep wasn't so overrated after all.

* * *

_Hollie's POV _

_Dear Remus,_

_I wasn't sure about writing you a letter since I've only been gone for four days but so much has happened and I just have to share!_

_Our first snowboarding competition was two days ago –my team came in second at eight minutes and thirty-three seconds._

_I came in third in the individuals –I don't mind, though, 'cause the snowmobile races are in two days and I know I can totally win that one._

_I wish you were here –I ran into your cousin, Gabriel –he won first place in the individuals __with my cousin Cade coming in second –he wasn't happy about it and whined so much, Reba finally told him to stop being such a baby about it._

_The Alps are cold and I suppose it's unfair to the Muggle competitors but I'm sure glad Uncle Jack put a warming charm on us –kept me from getting frostbite, it's so cold!_

_I'm having a hard time staying awake__ right now__, I'm so tired. __It must be all that fresh, clean air. __Okanawa's anxious to spread her wings so I'll send this letter out now._

_Oh, thought you'd like some good Swiss chocolate so enjoy!_

Signing my name at the bottom, I yawned, folding the paper and tying it around the giant chocolate bar with a piece of twine.

Climbing out of my bed, I moved across the cozy room I was sharing with Reba, Oka preening her wings as she perched on the windowsill. Scratching her forehead with a single finger, I smiled as she blinked big yellow eyes at me, letting out a soft _hoo_ as she stretched out her wings, the shiny black and silver feathers rippling with the movement.

She had just finished her first mould and was now able to fly long distances again so I had no problem sending her out, "Get this to Remus, girl. He should be back home but if he isn't, you can find him, right?"

She bobbed her head, taking the twined knot in her beak before turning on the windowsill, dropping out the window as soon as I opened it. She melted into the darkness of the night like a shadow, the moon glinting off her silver markings, making them seem like blinking stars.

Closing the window, I climbed back into bed, turning the lamp off as I pulled the down comforter over my head, Reba stirring slightly beside me before settling back in place.

Letting out a yawn, I closed my eyes, the pillow comfortable under my head. It wasn't long before sleep came, dreams following soon after.

* * *

_3__rd__ Person_

E.J. looked over Billy's shoulder as he came into the room they shared to see who had sent him the letter in his hand but failed to recognize the name, "who's Lily?"

Billy shrugged, turning the envelope to make sure it was addressed to him, "Don't know."

"Oh," E.J. was slightly surprised, "I thought she was one of your girlfriends."

Billy shook his head, sticking his finger into the corner to tear along the side, "I've never gone out with a Lily."

"Oh. Sorry mate. After awhile, I just lost track," E.J. admitted without guilt as he sat down at his desk.

Billy shrugged it off, opening the letter. He immediately recognized the handwriting, his eyes jumping to the bottom to see his sister's name, "It's from Sam!"

"What?!" E.J. jumped out of the chair and grabbed the letter from his twin, quickly scanning the couple of penned sentences.

"Come on, put your shoes on and let's go!"

"Go? Where?" E.J. looked up from the letter, watching in surprise as his brother scrounged around in the closet in search of his own shoes.

"Lily is a friend Sam's staying with and her address is on the envelope. She doesn't live very far –just twenty minutes on the train," Billy answered, not understanding why E.J. was just standing there.

"Sam gave us a phone number. We could just call and talk to her in less than a minute." E.J. countered with his own suggestion.

"Talking to her now or seeing her face to face in thirty minutes," Billy insisted, holding out his hands to weigh the two options in a mocking manner.

"What if they're not home?"

"Uh…didn't think about that," Billy sank down onto the bed, quickly jumping back up to reach for the phone, "It's a good thing Mum's not home to eavesdrop. We can talk to Sam without worrying about getting caught."

Billy was about to dial when they remembered their younger brother. E.J. headed towards the door and called out for Nate. They couldn't call Sam without having him there. It would be incredibly wrong.

"What?" Nate asked as he walked into the room, slightly annoyed yet curious to what was going on.

E.J. handed him the letter, "It's from Sam. Came in the post today."

Nate read through the letter, eager to know what had been going on with his sister, hating the year-long lack of news from her.

He was happy to see her familiar handwriting but he couldn't keep the sadness from showing, "She didn't say very much."

Billy held up the phone he had in his hand, "She gave us an address and phone number."

With a grin, Nate jumped onto the bed, landing next to his older brother as he held out the letter so Billy could easily read the number to dial.

E.J. kneeled behind his brothers, placing his head between theirs and above their shoulders. There was no way he was going to let them hog the conversation with their favorite sister.

* * *

_Sam's POV_

We were sitting in the kitchen, having a snack when the phone rang. Reaching for the phone, Lily answered with a cheery voice, "Evans' residence."

Lily's smile grew as she listened and I couldn't help wonder who could be make her smile like that.

"Yes, she's here. Hold on," she handed the phone out to me, her growing smile making me very curious, "It's for you."

"Me?" I couldn't hold back my own smile –I knew who it was, after all.

I slowly reached for the phone, not really sure why I was so nervous. They called which meant they wanted to talk to me. If they didn't, why bother calling, right?

"Hullo?"

The response a chorus of three voices in varying pitches, "Cheers Sam!"

"You owe us a really looong letter," Nate joked, his voice cracking halfway through the sentence.

"No kidding," Billy added, his smile coming through with every word he said, "What was that?"

I couldn't help laugh at Billy's scolding –it was so good to hear their voices.

"Sorry about that but one letter covering the whole school year would have taken more than one envelope," I defended myself once my laughter had died down.

"Sounds like an interesting year," E.J. commented and I was sure his face was lit up with excitement. He always enjoyed a good story, even better if it was true.

"Yeah, you could say that," I agreed, not giving any details because I didn't know where to start. Not to mention it would take too much time. Life at Hogwarts was never boring especially, if my pranks with Hollie were included.

"I wish we could hear about it," Billy's voice was laced with disappointment and I knew without being told he wanted to hear more about magic school than just the obvious.

"Why can't we," Nate was surprised, after all, wasn't the point of the phone call to actually talk with each other?

"The longer the call, the more suspicious Mum will be when she sees the phone bill." E.J., also disappointed, explained to their younger brother.

The smile vanished from my face as dread filled me. I hadn't thought about my brothers getting into trouble because of me. It was the last thing I wanted.

"How are you going to explain this call?"

"Oh, that's easy," Billy really didn't see what the problem was, "I'll just tell Mum I called a girl. It's believable enough. E.J. did think your letter was from a girlfriend."

I laughed at that, "It was kind of the point, Billy. I figured Mum was intercepting my letters, so I thought it would get through if it looked like it was from some girl."

"You're brilliant, Sam," E.J. laughed as he kept talking; "We came to the same conclusion when we didn't get any letters. I suppose we'll have to come up with something for next year so it doesn't happen again."

"Oh, I'm buying an owl at the end of the summer when Lily and I go to Diagon Alley. I'll train her to avoid Mum."

"How do you do that," Nate asked curiously, wondering how an owl could be trained to deliver post to a specific person. How did you train an owl?

"Not sure but I'll figure it out," I was determined to do this –no way was my mother going to win this.

"Might be easier if the owl knew us"

Billy's observation was rife with intent and I was sure there was an idea forming in his mind.

Apparently, E.J. picked up on it too, "You're talking about being there when Sam buys one, aren't you?"

"Of course. Why shouldn't we be there? It would be a lot fun, picking out an owl. You said at the end of summer, right?"

"Yes."

"That's still a long time to wait to see you," Nate supplied, really wanting to see me as much as I wanted to see him –being just two years older than me, we were very close to each other right up to the day I left for Hogwarts.

"Agreed. What are you doing tomorrow?" Billy asked, just as eager to see me as Nate.

"We could always pick you up, go somewhere, then bring you back," E.J. offered, thinking it would be less awkward than being in a stranger's house for several hours.

I covered the mouthpiece to the phone before asking Lily, "We don't have any plans tomorrow, do we?"

Lily shook her head, "Are your brothers coming over?"

I nodded, "They'll pick me up then bring me back."

"Where are you going?"

I shrugged, not caring as long as we got to hang out, "No idea."

"I don't think it really matters."

I bit my lip so as not to laugh at Nate's whispered comment but a chuckle still escaped.

A voice from the other end of the line made my blood run cold, "Boys! I'm home!"

"I'll go distract her," E.J. offered as he jumped off the bed to rush out of their room, "See you tomorrow, Sam."

"Bye," I whispered, wondering if he had heard me.

"We'll pick you up before lunch, that way we have the whole afternoon," Billy didn't want to get caught by their mother so he relayed the plan without consulting me but I understood.

"Okay –just get off the phone. I'll see you tomorrow," I whispered even though I knew she couldn't hear me.

"See you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you, too," I echoed, not sure if they heard me since Billy had hung up the phone so quickly.

"What happened?" Lily's question broke through my thoughts.

"Our mother came home. We had to hang up so she wouldn't find us out."

Lily nodded in sad understanding before changing the subject, "What time are they coming tomorrow?"

"Before lunch, that way we have all afternoon."

I couldn't keep the smile from spreading across my face –it probably reached my ears. I was going to see my brothers tomorrow!


End file.
